Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Provo Area Mountains Issued by Brett Kobernik for Monday - January 26, 2015 - 7:24am
bottom line

The avalanche danger may rise to CONSIDERABLE during daytime heating. I am quite unsure just how the snowpack will react to the anticipated very warm temperatures so forecast confidence is low. Avoid being on or below steep sunny slopes as they heat up starting with east facing first and working south then west as the sun moves during the day.




current conditions

Wow. Temperatures are quite mild in the mid 30s to 40 degrees along the ridges already. Wind speeds increased for a period overnight but have really backed off now and are from the northeast.

recent activity

No avalanche activity was reported from the Provo area mountains but some skier triggered wet loose snow avalanches were reported in the Salt Lake area Sunday. Similar conditions existed in the Provo mountains on Sunday.

Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Record high temperatures today will demand you pay attention to the sunny slopes. There are some factors which make me think we won't see too much wet activity but other factors and the unprecedented high temperatures make me very unsure. IF we see wet avalanches, they could pile up some substantial debris.

Avoid being on or below steep sunny slopes as the heat up during the day. Watch for shady slopes at the lower elevations to become saturated and unstable as well. If you are sinking deep into wet snow, it's time to get off of any steep slope you're on and watch what's above you.

weather

It's going to be a warm one with ridgetop temperatures perhaps reaching 45 degrees. Winds will be pretty light from the east and southeast. We have an odd storm that will move through from the south on Tuesday into Wednesday but it's not looking all that great for much more than about 3 inches of snow, 6 inches if we're lucky.

general announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.

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), Canyons Resort Dispatch (435-615-3322)

Snowbasin Resort Dispatch (801-620-1017), Powder Mountain Dispatch (801-745-3772 x 123).

Sundance Dispatch (801-223-4150)

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Wasatch Powderbird Guides Blog/Itinerary for the Day.  

Lost or Found something in the backcountry? - http://nolofo.com/

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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 exist.