Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Evelyn Lees

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Big Cottonwood UDOT would like to give a big thanks to the backcountry users for avoiding their targeted terrain yesterday morning so they could conduct control work .

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 this morning on all aspects for triggering a 1 to 2 foot deep slide in the newer snow, especially on wind drifted slopes. The danger on steep, sunlit slopes will rapidly rise to CONSIDERABLE with sun and daytime heating, first on east then south then west and northwest and at all low elevations Natural wet avalanches will be possible, and human triggered wet sluffs and slabs likely. Avoid travel on and below steep, sunlit slopes once the snow gets damp.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Under clear skies, temperatures are in the mid teens to mid twenties, and on the rise. Winds are in the process of shifting to the southwest, and are less than 10 mph.

RECENT ACTIVITY

With good visibility, results of the natural cycle that occurred during the storm were seen from the Logan mountains south through the Provo mountains. Timing varied from early in the storm to right near the end, and slides failed on a variety of weak layers - new snow, graupel, dirt/facets, perhaps a few step downs into older snow. (Provo summary) (Park City ridgeline) (Logan info). Yesterday, avalanche activity centered on resort and highway explosive control work, which brought out large slides in Argenta, Monte Cristo and northerly facing Coal Pit #4, and class 2 and 3 new snow slides.

Of note in the backcountry, were very sensitive low elevation wind slabs in Neff’s and a wet slab triggered with a ski cut in American Fork, on an east facing slope at 9,200’.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 12 hours.

The most widespread avalanche activity today will be wet sluffs and wet slab avalanches with sun and daytime heating. I expect a fairly rapid onset this morning – first east, then south, through west and northwest. The wet slides will be able to entrain a lot of snow in steep terrain, running far and resulting in large, deep cement like debris piles that are nothing to fool with. Snow on the northerly facing mid and low elevations will heat up too, especially if there are any high thin clouds this afternoon. So early starts and finishes are necessary today, with well planned exits to avoid steep slopes and terrain traps like creeks and gullies once the snow heats up where you are.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 12 hours.

There are multiple layers in the snow that has fallen since the end of March, including dust layers, low density snow, thin sun crusts and graupel (pellet snow) layers pooled beneath cliffs and on lower angle terrain. It will still be possible to trigger one of these snow layers on steep slopes today, especially on north through southeasterly facing slopes and any wind drifted slope.

THREAT #3
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 12 hours.

Cornices are large, sensitive and unpredictable, and tend to break back much further than expected or could even fail with daytime heating, so give these overgrown giants a wide berth.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

It’s going to be a scorcher today, with clear sunny skies and temperatures warming to near 50 at 8,000’ and into the mid 30s at 10,000’. Winds are shifting to the southwest, and will be light, in the 5 to 15 mph range, with gusts across the highest peaks in the 20’s. Clouds will start to increase late this afternoon ahead of a mostly dry cold front which will push into northern Utah Friday morning, bringing cooler temperatures and a slight chance for snow. Dry and very warm again this weekend, with gusty southerly winds developing by Sunday ahead of a small, early week storm.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The ability to deal with medical emergencies is a vital backcountry travel skill. On April 9-11, Utah Wilderness Safety will be conducting a Wilderness & Remote First Aid course in SLC. As an added bonus, WMS has agreed to donate a percent of the class proceeds to the FUAC. For more details, go to our events calendar or www.utahwildernesssafety.com/FIRST-AID.html.

SLC: Please contact Alta Central (801-742-2033) if you trigger a large avalanche in the backcountry, especially if you are adjacent to a ski area, to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Ogden: Please contact Snowbasin ski patrol (801620-1000/1017) if you trigger a large avalanche in the backcountry, especially if you are adjacent to a ski area, to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Provo: Please contact Sundance ski patrol (801 -223-4150) if you trigger a large avalanche in the backcountry, especially if you are adjacent to a ski area, to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Discount Lift tickets: Ski Utah, Backcountry.com and the local resorts donated lift tickets, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Utah Avalanche Center. To get the last few tickets left for Park City, Beaver Mountain, and Sundance – click here 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

We appreciate all your avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or fill out the observation form on our home page.

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.

I 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.