Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

UDOT will sight in artillery in Provo Canyon on Tue Dec 6 from 10-11am. Expect delays on US189 and please stay clear of ice climbing Closure Time: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - 10:00am Anticipated Re-Opening: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - 11:00am

We have a free avalanche awareness talk tonight:

Black Diamond, Tuesday, December 6, 7-9pm - Click HERE for DETAILS

There are also a couple Avalanche 101 classes this weekend and a Level 1 class. See Education for more details.

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

The overall danger remains Low with pockets of Moderate danger on any steep slope with recent wind deposits. As always, avoid any steep slope with the characteristic, smooth, rounded shape of a wind drift. Although the probability of triggering slides are on the low side, the consequences are extreme because with this thin snowpack, even a small avalanche will involve a nasty ride through rocks.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

The good news is that the temperature has warmed up to a balmy 12 degrees from below zero yesterday. The bad news is that the winds have picked up and are blowing from the northwest 30, gusting to 40 on the highest peaks and 15, gusting to 30 on most of the ridgelines with a temperature near 5 degrees.

On the very wind and sun sheltered slopes you can find 1-3 inches of fluff on top of recrystallized snow that rides sort of OK, which is about the nicest thing the very few people getting out have to say about it. Otherwise, the snow surface is a wide variety of wind and sun crusts. with rocks not far below the surface.

You can find good observations on our website from both Drew Hardesty and Mark White at the usual place under Current Conditions.

Note: for those of you who only read the emailed advisory, none of the menus are visible. So you should visit the home page www.UtahAvalancheCenter.org once in awhile to discover a wide variety of cool things available.

RECENT ACTIVITY

No reports of avalanche activity yesterday from the backcountry.

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

With winds from a variety of directions these past few days, you can find pockets of hard, stiff wind slabs on a variety of slopes in upper elevation, wind exposed areas. Most of these wind slabs seem relaxed with no "stored elastic energy" as we sometimes refer to them. Still, with the increased, strong winds from the northwest last night, some of these wind slabs may be fresh enough that you could get them to crack under your weight.

As always, be suspicious of any steep slope with recent wind drifts.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Temperatures will continue their slow warming trend today with ridgetop temperatures near 20 and warming to near 25 tomorrow. Ridge top winds should continue to be stiff today from the northwest, 20-35, with higher gusts.

As for the extended forecast we still don't see any significant snow in the forecast for at least another week. There are some hints of a more favorable pattern next week sometime.

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.