Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

We have a mostly MODERATE avalanche danger this morning. This means dangerous avalanche conditions exist on some terrain features and human triggered avalanches are possible. Keep in mind that the avalanche danger may rise to CONSIDERABLE if we have a period of heavy snow or stronger winds. Natural avalanche activity may occur during this period. The avalanche danger is most pronounced in areas that received the most snow such as upper Little Cottonwood and is much lower in areas that only received a small amount of new snow such as the Provo Mountains.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Temperatures are in the teens along the ridges and low 20s at 8000 feet. Winds are generally from the west gusting into the 40s along the highest locations. It’s a bit gusty at the mid & lower elevations with gusts in the 15 to 25 mph range. Alta received around 11 inches of total snow as of this morning with about 1 inch of water. There’s about 6 inches in upper Big Cottonwood. Snowbasin received 4 to 6 inches of total snow, Park City 2 to 4 inches and the Provo area has only received a few inches. It is currently snowing in many locations.


RECENT ACTIVITY

There was no avalanche activity to speak of on Sunday.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Instability within the new snow is our focus today. I see two potential issues with the new snow. We may see a period of heavy snow which in turn would make the avalanche danger spike and could initiate a natural new snow avalanche cycle. This could occur on a variety of aspects. The second issue is drifting snow forming fresh slabs. There’s enough wind to transport the new snow and the most likely spots for these fresh drifts are along the upper elevation ridges that face northeast through southeast.

Since the majority of the snow fell overnight we don’t have a real good idea on how it’s behaving. You need to consider it unstable until you have seen enough evidence to prove that it’s stable. Obvious clues are recent avalanching, shooting cracks, and drifting snow. Perform quick stability tests within the new snow and use slope cuts to see if there is any weakness. Only in the absence of obvious clues and good test results can you deem things stable.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We’ll have periods of snow possible through the day tapering off this afternoon. Another 2 to 4 inches may accumulate. Temperatures will be in the mid 20s and west or northwest winds will continue to gust in the 15 to 25 mph range along the mid elevation ridges and into the 40s along the higher locations. Wind speeds should taper off this afternoon. We’ll have a brush-by storm on Tuesday that may produce a little snow and then a stronger storm into Thursday.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Wasatch Powderbird Guides did not fly yesterday, and will not fly today. Check their operations planning page is here.

Our web site is now formatted for iPhone. You can also download a free iPhone application from Canyon Sports to display the Bottom Line. Search for Utah Avalanche on the Apple's iPhone Apps page or in iTunes.

The North American Avalanche Danger Scale is being revised for next winter. Our friends in Canada have created a short survey found at the following link. Please help ensure the new Avalanche Danger Scale is effective by completing a survey. http://surveys.globalepanel.com/wix/p319164581.aspx

Beacon training parks are up and running! There is one at Snowbasin, one on the Park City side at the top of Canyon’s gondola toward the Tombstone lift, one in Little Cottonwood near the Snowbird parking structure on the bypass road, and in Big Cottonwood a training park is at the west end of Solitude's lower parking lot.

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For a text only version, the link is on the left side bar, near the top.

UDOT highway avalanche control work info can be found by calling (801) 975-4838. Our statewide toll free line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, option 8).

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Your snow and avalanche observations can save someone’s life. Please let us know what you're seeing by leaving a message at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at uac@utahavalanchecenter.org. (Fax 801-524-6301).

The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

Drew Hardesty will update this advisory by 7:30 tomorrow morning.


This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done.  This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.


This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.