Up high in the mountains, the skies are all clear,
It’s a beautiful morning, filled with holiday cheer.
The temperatures have warmed at 10,000 feet
Into the upper 20s and low 30s – we’re talking heat!
The northerly winds decreased and are quite light
Speeds have averaged less the 15 for much of the night
Snow conditions remain thin; it’s Rok-Pow at best
But it’s still decently fun – certainly better than much of the west.
At the shady mid and upper elevations, on a wind shelter slope
You can find a bit of soft powder, so don’t give up hope.
Yesterday, there was one report from the backcountry of spider web cracks,
An east facing slope shattered, but no movement downhill of the snowpack.
The facets keep growing as we sleep through the night,
Loose, sugary, sparkly and not bonded tight.
So there are still 2 avalanche concerns of which to beware,
Soft slabs and loose sluffs are possible - so backcountry travelers must take care.
Buried shallowly in the snowpack are surface hoar feathers and facet squares,
And shallow slabs could be triggered on these weak layers.
Perhaps old, cracky winds drifts, with a collapse here and there
So stay on your toes, on steep slopes they could give you a scare.
It’s a MODERATE DANGER on steep slopes facing northwest, north and northeast,
So at mid and upper elevations, approach these slopes with caution at the very least.
There’s also a MODERATE DANGER for triggering a long running sluff,
If you’re caught and carried it won’t be just fluff.
Any ride would be rough, through rocks and debris,
Maybe no burial, but probably an injury
Later today watch for heating and the hot sun,
Small damp sluffs will be possible and similarly, not much fun
Remember, MODERATE DANGER means you can trigger a slide,
And it’s always dangerous to be caught and take a ride.
Weather wise, today in the mountains will be a delight,
Skies will be clear and the northwest winds very light
Temperatures will soar to 30 and above,
At 10,000’ – why you’ll need just a light glove.
At 8,000 feet, 40 degrees could be the high,
It’s not very wintry – I really can’t lie.
But what does the future have in store?
By mid to late week, of snow, perhaps a few inches more.
Weak waves will ripple across northern Utah in a fast westerly flow,
Each with a chance for white flakes, though snow totals look to be low.
And so we at the UAC wish you a safe, happy holiday week,
And we too, are hoping for lots of powder to make the snow pack deep. |