Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

This will be our last week of morning forecasts. After Easter Sunday, we will do intermittent afternoon updates until near the end of April or conditions become very benign, whichever comes first.


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 will rise to MODERATE or possibly CONSIDERABLE with daytime heating. I would anticipate natural avalanches involving the new snow. Human triggered avalanches should be easy to start as the snow heats up as well. Stay out of confined chutes and couloirs today. Be mindful of any lingering wind slabs along the higher lee terrain.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

The little storm on Friday produced about 4 inches of snow in the Provo area moutains. Winds were doing some damage forming some drifts and scallops in the higher terrain. Riding conditions were good although you could feel the old frozen snow surface under the new. The new snow had some effect from a few periods of sun but was mostly cold and tasty still at the end of the day. This won’t last today and if you’re reading this from your house you’re late! Temperatures were cold overnight with most locations in the low to mid teens and a few of the higher elevations even in the single digits. This will change rapidly today. Southwest winds have slowed to lighter speeds.


RECENT ACTIVITY

There was no significant activity on Friday although the new snow was somewhat active with the intense snowfall during the day which produced good sized loose snow avalanches and some small soft slabs. This is very typical during high snowfall rates. Also typical of spring storms, things dramatically calmed down in the afternoon as snow let up and settlement occurred.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 10 hours.

The main avalanche concern today will be the new snow becoming unstable as it heats up. I anticipate natural wet loose snow avalanches today. As the snow heats up it will most likely be easy to initiate these avalanches also. Consider who or what is below you and be mindful that if you initiate a small point release it could fan out and get large enough to say, hit the Little Cottonwood highway. Likewise, you should pay attention to what’s going on above you. Confined chutes and couloirs are suspect with avalanche starting zones that are often not obviously visible which funnel into the chute. Many of these could flush today.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

You may also be able to find a lingering wind slab along the higher north through southeast aspects. These will be more stubborn than on Friday and will be "pockety"The avalanche danger will rise to MODERATE or possibly CONSIDERABLE with daytime heating. I would anticipate natural avalanches involving the new snow. Human triggered avalanches should be easy to start as the snow heats up as well. Stay out of confined chutes and couloirs today. in nature.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

A ridge is moving in bringing clear skies and a rebound to temperatures which will get into the 40s at 8000 feet and 30s along the ridges. Winds will be light from the southwest. We’ll have the same on Sunday with warmer temperatures yet by about 10 degrees warmer than today with similar weather for Monday and Tuesday. It looks like the next system will move in late Wednesday into Thursday.


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 and Park City – 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.

Twitter Updates for your mobile phone http://utahavalanchecenter.org/twitter)

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

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UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

Wasatch Powderbird Guides does daily updates about where they'll be operating on this blog http://powderbird.blogspot.com/.

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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.