25th Annual Black Diamond Fall Fundraising Party
Thursday, September 13; 6:00-10:00 PM; Black Diamond Parking Lot
25th Annual Black Diamond Fall Fundraising Party
Thursday, September 13; 6:00-10:00 PM; Black Diamond Parking Lot
Advisory: Provo Area Mountains | Issued by Evelyn Lees for Saturday - March 4, 2017 - 7:11am |
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current conditions Warmth and wind are pummeling our snow pack. After highs in the mid 40s yesterday, temperatures in the Provo mountains are in the upper 30s this morning. The 8 to 9000' winds are from the south, and averaging 20 to 25 mph, with gusts in the 30s. At the 10,000’ stations to the north, the southerly winds are averaging 25 to 30 mph, with gusts in the 40s. For soft snow, head to the very wind sheltered, shady slopes facing northwest, north and northeast at the mid and upper elevations. For a great recap of this week’s weather and avalanche activity, check out Greg Gagne’s weekly summary HERE. |
recent activity No recent backcountry observations from the Provo area mountains. In the Salt Lake area mountains, another large cornice fall was reported yesterday near Little Superior Buttress, into Cardiff Fork, probably a natural. There was also a close call in the Y-Not couloir when a small wet loose sluff took skier over a 35' cliff in the choke and then a couple hundred feet down the gully below. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. A great observation is posted HERE. Location of Y-Not avalanche. Photo by Rice. |
type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
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LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
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description
Even yesterday, winds were starting to build small hard drifts or slabs at the upper elevations. Today, these wind slabs will be much more widespread, especially on the slopes facing the north half of the compass. You will find the drifts both along mid and upper elevation ridge lines and scattered down into open bowls. These hard slabs may be supportable in one spot and then crack and break out beneath you in another. Look for and avoid these hard smooth slabs on steep slopes. Spin drift avalanches or loose sluffs may occur in steep, rocky terrain. |
type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
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LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
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description
With continued warm temperatures and another day of heating, wet loose sluffs can again be triggered on steep sunny slopes and low to mid elevation northerly facing slopes. Even small wet sluffs can be dangerous in continuously steep or confined terrain like gullies, or if you are above trees, terrain traps or a cliff. Roof avalanches - with several days of warm weather, any remaining snow and ice on roofs is likely to slide off, resulting in deadly hard and deep piles. Glide avalanches – Glide avalanches can occur day or night, but the warm weather does seem to encourage them to occur. The neighborhoods where glide avalanches occur are primarily located in Big Cottonwood Canyon and include Broads Fork, Stairs Gulch, and Mill B South, and if you are traveling in those areas, avoid being below any yawning cracks. |
type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
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LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
|
description
Avoidance is the key with the mammoth cornices that exist this year. Stay way back from the edges - they are breaking far back onto what looks like flat ridge lines. Also, avoid travel below them – if one drops off above you, you could be squashed by one of the huge blocks. Quino Gonzalez photo - results of a cornice fall near Little Superior Buttress into Cardiff Fork. |
weather We’ve got another 36 hours of warm and windy weather ahead of Sunday night’s cold front. Today, 8000’ temperatures will warm into the low 50s and 10,000’ temperatures remain near freezing. The moderate to strong southerly winds will persist throughout the day, reaching average speeds of 30 to 40 mph, with gusts in the 50s at times, along the 10,000’ ridge lines. After another windy day Sunday, the strong cold front Sunday night should be an excellent refresher with a foot or more of snow and cold temperatures. |
general announcements
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