Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Evelyn Lees

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Park City Mountain Resort will begin control work in their high terrain Friday and Saturday, including McConkey’s, the Peak and the Jupiter area. Please avoid backcountry travel in those areas.

Alta and Snowbird resorts are closed to all touring and uphill traffic as they prepare to open 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 MODERATE on northwest through northeasterly facing slopes above about 9,500’, with Pockets of CONSIDERABLE remaining on the steeper, upper elevation shady, northerly facing slopes. While the chances of triggering a slide continue to slowly decrease, the consequences if you get caught remain the same – likely a very nasty ride through rocks. So head to LOW danger terrain - slopes less steep than about 35 degrees, with nothing steeper directly above or to the sides.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Skies are partly cloudy this morning, and under the light, southwesterly flow, temperatures are warming. Most stations are in the mid 20s to low 30’s, with only the highest peaks and the canyon bottoms in the teens. Wind speeds are generally in the 10-15 mph range, with gusts in the 30s across the highest peaks.

A shallow snow pack, averaging less than 2 feet even on high elevation, shady slopes, means you could be scraping rocks with regularity. Low angle shady terrain still has nice powder, but the snow on south facing slopes is even shallower and sun baked.


RECENT ACTIVITY

No reports of avalanche activity yesterday, either in the backcountry or at the resorts, though there have been far fewer triggers the last two days.

The accident reports can now be found under Current Conditions>Accidents.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Fewer collapses, less uniform snow pit stability tests (mainly ECT results), and time all equal a slowly strengthening weak layer and snow pack. But the weak layer/slab structure is still there, and there are places where a person could trigger an avalanche, which would break 1 to 2’ deep. This would be on steep shady upper elevation slopes.

And as you evaluate a steep slope, it’s not just the chances of getting caught in a slide you have to think about, but also the consequences if you do go for a ride. Yesterday, as I looked down several of the slides from the weekend – to me the rocks are lined up like the teeth in the mouth of a shark, screaming trauma, trauma, trauma. So for a few early season turns, it may not really be worth the risk.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

In addition, there are a few hollow sounding, hard wind drifts along the ridgelines and in open bowls that should be avoided on steep slopes.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

A weak weather disturbance will graze the Utah/Idaho border today, bringing partly to mostly cloudy skies, with a few snow flurries possible. Temperatures will continue to warm, reaching near 30 at 10,000’ and near 40 at 8,000’. The southwesterly winds will remain in the 10 to 20 mph range, with only the highest peaks gusting into the 40s. It will be partly cloudy and breezy tonight into Friday ahead of the next storm. This is still on track as a quick hitting Friday/Saturday event, which will hopefully bring about a foot of snow to the mountains. Timing for the heaviest precipitation is Friday evening through the night south of I-80, with the snow getting going earlier Friday to the north of I-80. Temperatures are expected to drop into the single digits by Saturday night.


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.


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.