Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Evelyn Lees

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Sunday, April 11th, will be our last forecast for the season.


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 generally LOW today, with pockets of MODERATE danger on steep, mid and upper elevation northerly facing slopes for triggering a 1 to 2 foot deep slide, especially on wind drifted slopes. There are also pockets of MODERATE danger for wet loose and wet slab avalanches on steep low and mid elevation slopes, especially if they receive rain.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Behind a surface cold front now in central Utah, skies are partly cloudy and temperatures have cooled into the mid 20s, though a few of the mid elevations in the Provo area mountains remain stubbornly at or above freezing. The southerly winds are averaging less than 15 mph, except for a very few exposed peaks in the 20 to 30 mph range. Sun crusts rule on all but upper elevation, due north facing slopes where dry, soft snow is still to be found.


RECENT ACTIVITY

Yesterday, the snow managed the heating better than I expected – one wet slab was reported on Sound of Music on the Park City ridgeline, triggered by snow dropping out of a tree. It released mid slope, 1-2 feet deep by 200’ wide. Wet sluffs occurred on southeasterly facing slopes at all elevations in the Ogden mountains, and it was possible to “push” these down to the dirt layer on lower elevation slopes. There is new info posted on the extensive natural cycle that occurred during the storm in the Logan and Ogden area mountains.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Approach the steep, northerly facing slopes with the usual caution – with 50 to 100 inches of snow in the past 10 days, there are layers in the snow that could still be triggered by a person, including wind drifts, lower density snow and graupel (pellet snow), which is pooled beneath cliffs and on lower angle terrain. If you get snow moving, it could even step down to the more deeply buried dust layer on very steep slopes. Cornices are sensitive and unpredictable, and tend to break back much further than expected


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 10 hours.

Cooling temperatures, clouds and winds should limit wet avalanche activity today. However, with daytime heating or if sun pops out where you are, wet sluffs and possibly slabs could be triggered on mid and lower elevation slopes, especially this afternoon. Be alert if the snow surface heats up and becomes punchy or mushy where you are.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

A dry cold front sliding south into central Utah will leave the northern mountains with cooler temperatures, mostly cloudy skies and a slight chance for snow and rain showers today. 8000’ highs will be near 40, 10,000’ temperatures will be in the low 20s. The southwesterly winds will remain gusty, in the 10 to 20 mph range, with gusts in the 30’s at 10,000’ and in the 40’s along the high ridges. A mild, southwest flow this weekend will warm 10,000’ temperatures to above freezing again and winds will increase Sunday and Monday ahead of a cooler Monday/Tuesday storm system.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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.

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.

Drew 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.