Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I'll be giving a basic avalanche awareness talk at the Sandy location of REI tonight at 7pm. It's free and open to the public.


BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

The avalanche danger is MODERATE on slopes steeper then 35 degrees especially on northwest through east aspects. Human triggered avalanches are possible. Continue to follow backcountry protocol by only putting one person in avalanche terrain at a time and clear the runnout zones.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

We have some light snow flurries this morning that have added just a trace of new snow to a few locations. Temperatures range from the upper teens to mid 20s and winds are generally light from a northerly direction.


RECENT ACTIVITY

No new avalanche activity was reported from the backcountry on Wednesday. Ski resort explosive testing did bring out a new wind drift that was 2 to 4 feet deep and around 60 feet wide.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Tuesdays wind event formed some new wind drifts and slabs that may still be sensitive to the weight of a person today. The most likely areas will be on north through east facing aspects. They are more likely to release where they are sitting on weak faceted snow. Watch for rounded "pillowy" looking drifts and listen for hollow sounds. If you find these signs, dig down to look for sugary snow below the drift.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Many savvy backcountry travelers and snow professionals feel like the energy has gone out of the snow for the most part right now, but, they admit that they are still taking a somewhat conservative approach and feel that an avalanche breaking into older snow is still possible if you poke around enough. The most likely spots are northwest through east facing slopes with a shallow snowpack, perhaps in areas with less then 2 or 2.5 feet total snow depth.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We could see a few snow flurries still this morning not adding much more then a trace or so of snow at most locations. Northerly winds should remain fairly light. Ridgetop temperatures will max out in the mid to upper 20s. High pressure builds into the region tonight and into Friday with mostly clear skies and mild temperatures. We'll see some clouds through the weekend with continued mild temperatures. There are a few chances for snow shaping up for next week.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Discount Lift tickets: Ski Utah, Backcountry.com, Alta, Deer Valley, Park City, The Canyons, Wolf Mountain, Snowbasin, Beaver Mountain, Brighton, Sundance, and Solitude have donated a limited number of tickets for sale at discounted prices.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides flight plan.

Dawn Patrol Forecast Hotline, updated by 05:30:888-999-4019 option 8.

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

Free UAC iPhone app from Canyon Sports.

Subscribe to the daily avalanche advisory e-mail click HERE.

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

Send us your avalanche and snow observations. You can also call 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email to uac@utahavalanchecenter.org

Donate to your favorite non-profit – The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.

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.

Bruce will update this forecast tomorrow morning. Thanks for calling.


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.