Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Evelyn Lees

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

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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 today is an overall MODERATE – for both wet avalanches on all aspects and elevation up to around 9,000’ and anywhere it rains today. It is also a MODERATE danger for triggering a new wind drift. Avoid any steep slope with recent wind drifted snow.

The danger for new snow avalanches and wind slabs will increase late this afternoon through tonight and into tomorrow morning, timed with the heaviest snowfall. Remember, periods of rapid loading are when new snow avalanches are most likely.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Insultingly warm temperatures this morning – most 10,000’ stations are in the mid 30’s and 8,000’ temperatures in the 40’s. The southwesterly winds have been ramping up the past few hours, with 20 to 25 mph averages and gusts in the 40s and 50s. The high peaks are really going for it, gusting in the 60s to 80s.


RECENT ACTIVITY

No backcountry avalanche activity reported from yesterday. A large cornice drop in the Ogden area mountains was able to trigger a small soft slab below it.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 12 hours.

Even the strong winds can’t completely negate the super warm overnight temperatures, and wet snow problems could be compounded by rain on snow today. If you really must travel at the low and mid elevation, stay off steep slopes. Initiating simple wet sluffs are likely and triggering more dangerous wet slabs possible, especially on mid elevation northerly facing slopes. Today’s new snow may be easy to push into wet sluffs on steep slopes. If your pole plunges deep into the snow pack, basket side down, or you are sinking into your knees and hips, it’s a sign that its way too wet to be out there.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

In spite of generally hard snow surfaces, yesterday I was able to kick small, soft new cornices, 5 to 10 feet wide, along the higher ridges. After a night of cranking winds, the drifts will be bigger and deposited both along the high ridgelines and mid slope, most widespread on north through easterly facing slopes. Those really big, overhanging CORNICES will be even more sensitive after the warm night. A person can trigger them by getting too close and they continue to break off naturally. Give the cornices a wide berth and avoid travel below them.


THREAT #3

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Tonight, the danger of new snow avalanches will increase as the snow piles up, especially during periods of very heavy snow fall of 2 to 3” per hour. If you are traveling late tonight or early tomorrow, be aware of increasingly dangerous avalanche conditions, for new snow slides, especially in upper elevation, wind drifted terrain.

Also, by tomorrow, we’ll be thinking once again of the isolated places a deep slab avalanche may be trigged. The deep weak layers have become sensitive with every significant loading event. The deep slab potential is low but with severe consequences.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Precipitation will develop gradually today and become more wide spread late this afternoon ahead of the front, arriving between 5 to 8 pm in the Salt Lake mountains. Lightning is possible with frontal passage. Any snow today will be the damp variety, with 2 to 5” expected. Snowfall will be steady throughout the day in the Ogden area mountains, while south of I-80 snowfall may not really get going until afternoon. There will be no break from the strong southwesterly winds today – 25 to 35 mph averages, with gusts to 60 along most ridges, and averages to 45 with gusts hitting 70 to 80 across the highest peaks. Temperatures will also hold steady in the 30’s and 40’s most of the day, until the front arrives. Heavy snowfall tonight, with rates of 2” an hour or more, and 8 to 14” expected by morning. Temperatures will drop into the teens. Lingering snow Thursday morning, will be followed by a break Thursday night and Friday, with more snow possible this weekend.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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 by clicking HERE

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.