Through a generous donation by Backcountry.com to our partners the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center we will continue forecasting for the next couple weeks. It will be a combination of early morning weekend forecasts and mid week afternoon updates, with weekend only updates for the Logan and Uintas area mountains. Thank You!!

There are two regimes – winter up high and wet and spring-like down low. On any tour, ride or snowshoe today, you will travel through both, and these rapidly changing conditions will keep you on your toes.

The avalanche danger is MODERATE (L2) today for new snow sluffs and soft slabs on steep, mid and upper elevation slopes, and MODERATE (L2) for triggering wet loose sluffs and small wet slabs on steep slopes at the mid to lower elevations.

The danger will increase to Pockets of CONSIDERABLE (L3) during any periods of heavy snowfall or if the winds increase, most likely this afternoon and evening, and natural avalanches will become possible. In addition, the avalanche danger will increase to Pockets of CONSIDERABLE (L3) during any periods of heating – thinning clouds or direct sun, when easily triggered and natural wet loose sluffs and slabs may occur.

It is a MODERATE (L2) avalanche danger on upper elevation slopes for the possibility of a new snow avalanche stepping down to a deeper weak layer, on northwest through northeasterly facing slopes.

An additional 3 to 5 inches of 5% density snow fell overnight, bringing storm totals to 2 feet in the upper Cottonwoods, and one to two feet in the Provo and Ogden area mountains and on the Park City side. Storm water totals are 1.5 to 2”.

Winds are from a south to southeasterly direction, and very light this morning – most stations are averaging less than 10 mph, with only the occasional gust to 20 mph. Temperatures are in the teens at 10,000’ and low 20’s at 8,000’. By the end of Friday, it was mashed potatoes below about 8,000’ and powder up high.

There was lots of new snow activity yesterday, both dry and wet. At the mid to upper elevations, there were easily triggered new snow soft slabs and sluffs, and a few naturals occurring during periods of heavy snowfall. A spontaneous avalanche was reported at 6 pm in upper Argenta, on Kessler, coming off the west facing slopes, with cracking and collapsing on the steep, northeasterly facing slopes. Natural activity was reported from the Provo area mountains early yesterday morning.

At the mid to low elevations, wet avalanche activity included skier triggered sluffs and small slabs. Most of these were running on the Thursday crust. In the Ogden area mountains: shallow soft slabs were reported, mostly from explosive control work.

A cold pacific storm system parked over southern California will continue to bring snow to the Wasatch mountains on a southerly flow through the day. Once the low begins its slow migration to the northeast, the flow will eventually switch to the west northwest late this afternoon and tonight. Light snow fall rates early today, with heavier snow possible late this afternoon through tonight. An additional 7 to 10” of snow is possible today, and 5 to 9” tonight, with heaviest snow late afternoon through early evening. The winds will remain light all day, averaging less than 15 mph. Once they shift to the northwest this afternoon, they will increase slightly, with averages reaching 20 to 25 mph along the higher ridges. Temperatures will be in the mid teens at 10,000’ and mid 20s at 8,000’.

The storm will be winding down tomorrow morning, with only light snow expected on Sunday. The next smaller but still cold storm will move into the area Monday evening, with periods of snow through Thursday, and storm totals around a foot.

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)

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.