Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Provo Area Mountains Issued by Drew Hardesty for Wednesday - November 18, 2015 - 6:58am
bottom line

We have an overall MODERATE danger in the backcountry. Human triggered avalanches are possible in the stiff and stubborn wind drifts scattered across the landscape. Any wind drift triggered on a west to north to east facing slope may step down into the old weak faceted snow near the ground. Don't be surprised to collapse the slope and trigger a pocket from a distance. Remember that consequences will be accentuated as the avalanche victim will get raked through rocks and deadfall in the still early season snowpack.

This advisory will be updated again Saturday morning.




special announcement

Remember, control work is not being done at the unopened ski areas, and that terrain must be treated as backcountry.

current conditions

It's weather only a mother could love. Mother Nature, that is. Alternating warm and cold fronts rippling through the Wasatch continue to keep the thermometers on their toes - mountain temps are now 10-15 degrees warmer than they were 24 hours ago. The warm front too ushered in a rime event that reportedly covered nearly everything and every slope above about 9000' yesterday. At least the winds have averaged 40-50mph with gusts into the 60s up high. So now you have an adequate picture of our wasteland - 1-2' of total snow depth of wildly scoured starting zones and drifts in odd and unique places capped with a breakable rime crust. Mother nature indeed.

recent activity

We have little info from the Provo mountains but info from the Central Wasatch is below

The few that ventured into the backcountry yesterday reported not avalanche activity or signs of instability per se, but key weather and terrain observations that one might store for future use. The riming - many crusts in fact - can promote the development of weaknesses adjacent to them. We'll keep tabs on this over the next several days. The scouring of snow from many starting zones is also of note. Thinner snow can equal weaker snow - and the starting zones in many areas now may only get weaker and weaker until the next storm event.

Activity of note from yesterday from the mountain resorts was described as pockety and not well connected, with some explosive-induced wind slabs provoked in the mid-elevations. Still, the remotely triggered slide from Monday might be the canary in the coal mine as a portent of things to come.

Photos (Mark White) Riming on the trees, scoured starting zones.


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 wind drifts are now scattered all over the map and could generally be assumed to be stubborn and in some cases bullet proof. You'll see giant smooth rounded whales of snow in various and myriad deceleration zones even well off the ridgelines and in the lee of odd convexities. These are to be avoided, even if they feel bullet proof. These are the ones that allow you to get well out onto them before you collapse them on the thinner edge of the lens. Click on the 'i' next to the infographic for more info.

Extra Caution: Any wind slab triggered at the mid and upper elevation west through north through east facing terrain may steep down to the ground, resulting in a larger avalanche.

Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

The old snow from Nov 3rd and 4th remains the weakest snow in the snowpack and needs just enough of a load from additional snow and wind to become active. The culprit layer is generally relegated to the west to north to east facing slopes above about 9000' and is easily discerned when pawing down with your hand for a quick hand pit. The grey, granular, unconsolidated grains have a completely different shape, feel, texture, color - even taste - than the new snow and wind drifts. See photo below.

With enough of wind and snow, these persistent slabs may be triggered by the weight of a person on - or adjacent to - the slope. Collapsing, "whumphing" are immediate signs of localized instability. Click on the 'i' next to the infographic for more info.

weather

A shallow cold front will sag down over the Wasatch by late morning, pushing temps down a few degrees and producing an optimistic inch or two of snow. Winds will not only continue their onslaught of the mountains, but only intensify this morning. Models suggest hourly averages in the 50+ mph range from the northwest and - truth be told - continue in the moderate category through later Friday. Another few ripples of weather over the next few days will finally give way to a fleeting ridge of high pressure for the weekend. The long range models depict an the next complex storm system to affect northern Utah by Tuesday.

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.

To get help in an emergency (to launch a rescue) in the Wasatch, call 911.  Be prepared to give your GPS coordinates or the run name. Dispatchers have a copy of the Wasatch Backcountry Ski map.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry, but no one is hurt and you do not need assistance, please notify the nearest ski area dispatch to avoid a needless response by rescue teams. Thanks.

Salt Lake and Park City – Alta Central (801-742-2033), Canyons Resort/PCMR Dispatch (435)615-1911

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

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!

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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.