Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

AVALANCHE WARNING »

Dangerous avalanche conditions are occuring or are imminent. Backcountry travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.
Notice:

There is an Avalanche Warning for all the mountains of Utah where a A HIGH (LEVEL 4) danger exists with an EXTREME (LEVEL 5) danger for the Provo area mountains.

Backcountry travelers should avoid all avalanche terrain and stay out from underneath steeper slopes above.

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 EXTREME (LEVEL 5) in the Provo area mountains andLEVEL 4 (HIGH) in all other mountains of Utah

LEVEL 4 (HIGH) means dangerous avalanche conditions exist, and travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended, natural and human triggered avalanches are likely.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Heavy snow continued to fall today on a southwest flow, which especially pummeled the Provo area mountains where they are now up to an astounding 7 inches of water weight with a couple feet of dense snow and more coming overnight. Most other mountain areas have around 3 inches of additional water weight with 1-2 feet of dense snow. Freezing levels rose to around 8,000' today with rain saturated snow below that elevation.

RECENT ACTIVITY

We received a sketchy, second-hand email of someone who was buried and broke their leg in two places in Cardiff Fork in the Salt Lake area mountains. They apparently skied out with help from their companions. We hope to get more details.

There have bee widespread, large, natural avalanche activity in the Provo area mountains with sensitive, mostly human triggered activity in other areas and occasional natural avalanches.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The danger will continue to increase tonight with heavy snow and high winds. A natural avalanches will continue into Monday, especially in the Provo area mountains. The storm is “upside down” – lower density dry snow being covered by heavier, wet snow. In addition, all this new snow landed on very weak faceted snow (near surface facets and surface hoar). This weak layer is unusually wide spread, and can be found on almost all aspects and elevations. This weak layer/slab combination will be:

· Very sensitive, and easy to trigger on steep slopes, especially wind drifts

· Slides may be triggered remotely from a distance

· On steep south through west facing slopes, the weak snow is underlain by a very slick melt freeze crust, so once the snow gets moving, it could entrain, or pick up, additional snow, making for longer running slides with a deeper debris pile.

· Be aware of what is above you, and avoid travel below steep slopes

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

The rain line reached around 8,000’ and saturated the snow below that elevation. Watch for rollerballs and wet sluffs where soggy snow exists on steep slopes.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Snow continues to pile up overnight on a southwesterly flow, which favors places like the Provo and Ogden area mountains. This flow is affecting mountain areas statewide as well. We will have a cold front arrive overnight with increase in wind and snow. Winds will turn to the west and northwest, which will favor places like the Salt Lake area mountains. Temperatures should drop on Monday and snow and wind will diminish.

Be sure to monitor the National Weather Service website for updates on this powerful series of storms.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry - especially if you are adjacent to a ski area – please call the following teams 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.

Salt Lake – Alta Central (801-742-2033)

Ogden – Snowbasin Patrol Dispatch (801-620-1017)

Provo – Sundance Patrol Dispatch (801-223-4150)

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.

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.

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

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

You have the opportunity to participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 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.

We 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.