Forest
Service
Utah
Avalanche
Center
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Avalanche advisory
FRIday, December 7, 2001 7:30 a.M.
Good morning, this is Tom Kimbrough with the
Current Conditions:
The Wasatch got hammered by a stronger than expected cold
front last night. Most places around the
Wasatch are reporting about a foot of overnight new snow. This new snow is dense for the Wasatch,
containing nearly 15% water in places.
At this time, winds are still blowing 20 to 30 mph along the ridges,
with gusts to 70 mph and moderate snowfall continues. Temperatures are in the teens at 8,000. All this weather should move out of northern
Avalanche Conditions:
After several days of very strong winds, some slopes in exposed places are scoured right down to the rocks while other places have huge drifts. Yesterday avalanche control work produced inconsistent results, with some slopes pulling out up to 3 feet deep, while others seemed plastered into place. There was evidence of natural avalanche activity in the backcountry but poor visibility limited how much you could see and besides, our observers weren’t exactly sticking their noses very far into known avalanche paths.
Anyway, it’s a new ball game again this morning with last night’s blast of heavy new snow and more wind. Avalanche control workers that I have talked with this morning aren’t taking any chances today and that sounds like very good advice. With unusual weather conditions, surprising avalanches can happen and this much wind and almost 15% snow is surely unusual for the Wasatch.
The latest generation of wind drifts may be quite sensitive today, fracturing several feet deep. Slides may also break into deeper layers causing very large and long running avalanches.
Bottom Line:
The avalanche danger is HIGH
today on all drifted slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. Human triggered and natural avalanches are
likely. Avoid steep slopes and avalanche
run out areas. Backcountry travel in
avalanche terrain is not recommended.
The danger is MODERATE with human
triggered avalanche possible on drifted slopes between 30 and 35 degrees
steepness.
(Logan and Ogden Area Mountains)
The avalanche
danger is HIGH in the Logan and Ogden mountains
that received the most new snow from this storm. Some areas are reporting nearly 3 feet of new
snow in the last couple of days.
Combined with the very strong winds both natural and human triggered
avalanches are likely. Avoid steep
slopes and avalanche runout areas in the backcountry.
(Provo Area Mountains)
The avalanche
danger is HIGH in the
Avalanche
conditions are frequently more dangerous in the higher elevations near and
above timberline. This type of terrain,
generally above about 11,000 feet, is particularly prevalent in the
Mountain Weather:
It’s not over till
it’s over! One last blast of this storm
is still keeping the snow and wind coming in the mountains this morning. Additional accumulations will probably be
about 2 to 4 inches. Still, we expect
the action to decrease in a few hours.
By late morning snowfall should taper off and winds start dropping. We may even see some sun this afternoon. High temperatures will be in the twenties in
the mountains. Skies should be clear
tonight with fair skies and warmer temperatures on Saturday. The next storm: how about late Sunday.
The education page
of http://www.avalanche.org/ lists
avalanche classes offered this season.
For more detailed
information call 801-364-1591.
If you are getting out,
please give us a call and let us know what you’re seeing out there, especially
if you trigger an avalanche. You can
leave a message at 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140.
The information in
this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for
its content. This advisory describes
general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
Evelyn Lees will
update this advisory by
Thanks
for calling!
_____________________________________________________________________________
For more detailed weather information go to
our Mountain Weather Advisory
National
Weather Service - Salt Lake City - Snow.
For an explanation of avalanche danger
ratings:
http://www.avalanche.org/usdanger.htm