Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Provo Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Wednesday - February 3, 2016 - 6:51am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is CONSIDEARABLE on steep upper elevation slopes with new or old wind drifts. The drifts will become more widespread today as the winds increase. The avalanche danger remains CONSIDEARABLE on steep, upper elevations slopes facing west through north through east where deep slides breaking near the ground can be triggered, especially slopes that have slid one or more times this year. Both these issues become more isolated, with a MODERATE danger at the mid elevations.

Safer terrain choices with superb powder conditions include lower angle, wind sheltered slopes.




special announcement

Yard Sale! Stop by our facebook page and check out some goods we have for sale, donated by our many supporters, including skis, clothes, bindings, boots, 2 nights at the Talking Mountain Yurts in the LaSal mountains. This helps to support avalanche forecasting and education.

Tomorrow, Thursday 6:00pm - The Utah Adventure Journal Speaker Series presents professional skier Brody Leven, who will share the story of his incredible adventure to climb and ski the northernmost active volcano in a 36-hour push from his sailboat base camp.

Next Wednesday February 10th - We have teamed up with Liberty Mountain to bring avalanche awareness to the ice climbing community. A special evening dedicated to discussing avalanche hazard as it relates to many popular climbing routes around Utah. Come learn which routes need to be avoided when avalanche danger is elevated and which routes provide a safer alternative when conditions are sketchy. For more info click here.

There are still a few spaces in the Women’s Backcountry 101 avalanche classes at Brighton this weekend. For more info on those classes and other education offerings through out the state, check out our Education Page.

current conditions

Temperatures remain cold this morning, with most stations in the single digits. Skies range from cloudy with light snow to clear, with upper Little Cottonwood receiving up to 2" of snow overnight. The northwesterly winds are just starting to increase – now averaging 15 mph with gusts to 20, the highest terrain has gusts in the 30s. Wind sheltered slopes have amazing powder on all aspects; much preferred to the breakable wind slabs in exposed terrain.

recent activity

We are saddened by the avalanche death of a backcountry skier who was killed Sunday, along the Park City ridge line. For the second time this winter, the community has lost a wonderful person to an avalanche, and our condolences go out to the family and friends of Steve Jones. A preliminary report is HERE, we will visit the site today.

Yesterday, a solo skier triggered a 3' deep, 80' wide slide in No Name, on the Park City ridge line, that broke out 4 turns above him on his 4th run; he was able to ski out to the side. The slide ran 700' vertical, failing on basal facets, and has slid multiple times this year. There was also a significant natural off Pioneer Peak into Snake Creek observed, timing uncertain, on an E to NE facing slope. And finally, resort avalanche reduction work yesterday triggered the stiff wind slabs with explosives on a variety of aspects, including southeasterly facing.

Left: approximate location of Sunday’s backcountry avalanche fatality. Right: No Name slide triggered yesterday, Mark White photo


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 Sunday and Tuesday avalanches broke to the ground on our November facets. These slides stack up the debris deeply, and getting caught in one will have serious consequences, perhaps fatal. They are most likely to be triggered on an upper elevation north through easterly facing slope, that have already slid one or more times this winter and have a shallow snow pack. However, isolated deep slides have broken on other aspects, making this a tough one to forecast in the backcountry. Tracks on the slope are not an indication of stability, as these slides will often break out on the 2nd or even 4th person.

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

Just as the old hard wind slabs were starting to settle out, a new round of wind drifts will form today as the northwesterly winds increase. The old hard drifts will be stubborn, and could let you get out on the slab before failing. Today’s new drifts will be more reactive and cracky, and most widespread along the high ridgelines.

weather

It’s going to be another cold day with out much warming – 10,000’ temperatures will stay in the single digits and 8000’ temperatures warm to near 15. The northwesterly winds will increase today, especially along the higher ridge lines, where averages to 35 mph, with gusts to 50 mph are possible. Mid elevation winds speeds will average 15 mph by this afternoon. Clouds and winds will continue to increase tonight through Thursday, as a small disturbance brings a few inches of snow on Thursday.

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.

Backcountry Emergencies. It outlines your step-by-step method in the event of a winter backcountry incident.

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.

Powderbird Helicopter Skiing - 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!

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.