Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Provo Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Friday - February 20, 2015 - 6:22am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is LOW.




special announcement

Companion Rescue Workshops - Be confident in your backcountry avalanche companion rescue skills. We have two four hour clinics coming up - Sat Feb 21 5:30pm (NEW TIME) and Friday Feb 27 5:30pm. For more info, go to our Events page here.

Wasatch Mountain State Park Avalanche Awareness Clinic: Join four experienced ski patrollers and snow safety professionals from the Canyons and Park City Mountain Resort for a presentation and field demonstration concerning snow pack analysis and back country travel safety. Midway Adventure is sponsoring this event and the Friends of the Wasatch are providing light refreshments. Tomorrow, Saturday Feb 21, at Wasatch Mountain State Park. For more info, go to our Events page here.

current conditions

This morning, temperatures are in the 20s to low 30s and dropping, as the cold front moves across northern Utah. Clouds are increasing, and the northwesterly winds are averaging 10 to 15 mph. Along the higher ridgelines, average speeds are 25 mph with gusts in the 40s. Snow conditions are going to be rugged in the backcountry today, with the surface on most aspects and elevations icy and frozen. Between the clouds, cold air and wind, there will be little to no softening of those hard crusts today. High northerly facing slopes still have dry, softer snow.

recent activity

No new avalanches were reported from the backcountry.

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

The avalanche danger remains low, but on steep, upper elevation northerly facing slopes a shallow sluff could be triggered. You also may find a few small wind drifts scattered around in the high elevation terrain from the stronger northwesterly winds. They will be most sensitive where they are cross loaded onto the northerly facing slopes. Slide for life’s are a concern on icy slopes, and a slip or slide in the wrong spot could end with a terrifying ride.

weather

It’s going to be a cold, grey blustery day, with mostly cloudy skies and occasional snow showers adding up to an inch or two of snow. 8,000’ temperatures will be near 30, and 10,000’ temperatures will continue to drop, down into the upper teens by this evening. The winds are shifting to the northwest, and could reach 35 mph averages with gusts to 60 this morning across the higher ridge lines, before slowly decreasing this afternoon. Occasional snow showers will continue through Saturday evening, with 2 to 5” snow totals by Sunday morning. Cold temperatures will remain with us through the weekend.

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)

EMAIL ADVISORY  If you would like to get the daily advisory by email you will need to subscribe here.​ 

DAWN PATROL Hotline updated daily by 5-530am - 888-999-4019 option 8.

Twitter Updates for your mobile phone - DETAILS

UDOT canyon closures:  LINK TO UDOT, or on Twitter, follow @UDOTavy, @CanyonAlerts or @AltaCentral

Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides Blog/Itinerary for the Day.  

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

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

Discount lift tickets are now available at Backcountry.com.  Thanks to Ski Utah and the Utah Resorts.  All proceeds go towards paying for Utah Avalanche Center avalanche and mountain weather advisories.

To those skinning uphill at resorts:  it is your responsibility to know the resort policy on uphill travel.  You can see the uphill travel policy for each resort here. IMPORTANT: Before skinning or hiking at a resort under new snow conditions, check in with Ski Patrol.  Resorts can restrict or cut off access if incompatible with control and grooming operations.

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you shop from Backcountry.com or REI:  Click this link for Backcountry.com or this link to REI, shop, and they will donate a percent of your purchase price to the UAC.  Both offer free shipping (with some conditions) so this costs you nothing!

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you buy or sell on ebay - set the Utah Avalanche Center as a favorite non-profit in your ebay account here and click on ebay gives when you buy or sell.  You can choose to have your seller fees donated to the UAC, which doesn't cost you a penny.

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.