Wasatch
Cache National Forest
In partnership with: The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center, Utah Department of
Public Safety Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management, Salt Lake County,
and Utah State Parks
The
Utah Avalanche Center
Home page is: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/
Avalanche advisory
Saturday,
November 16, 2002
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Good morning, this is Tom
Kimbrough with the
Current Conditions:
Most of the Wasatch doesn’t
really have enough snow yet for good winter recreation but at the higher
elevations, especially in the Cottonwood Canyons, there is enough of the white
stuff to at least pretend it’s winter. There is some decent settled powder on
northerly facing slopes, with total depths of about 2 feet at 10,000 feet but
that is also just where a person might be able to trigger an avalanche. Southerly facing slopes are mostly crusted. I think snowmobiling is limited to mid and
upper elevation roads and trails. Snowshoeing
may be the best way to get around on many snowy slopes this weekend.
Avalanche Conditions:
The avalanche conditions are
much more stable since last weekend when the situation was quite nasty. Old October snow on shady slopes above about
9,000 feet made a poor base for last weekend’s storm. Where the new snow fell on bare ground it
didn’t cause problems; but on the north facing side conditions were just about
as sensitive as they get. Now the extreme
sensitivity has settled out but in a way it is now more tricky. Last weekend all you had to do was look hard
at a slope for it to avalanche; now you may get right out in the middle before
it cuts loose. A few days ago the avalanche
danger was screaming in your ear; now you have to listen attentively to hear
more subtle whispers. Although there
haven’t been any reported avalanches for several days, our snow pits still
indicate lingering instabilities and folks I know are still avoiding steep,
shady slopes.
Winds are breezy along the high
ridges this morning so, on exposed slopes, there may be some shallow drifts
that could crack and move with the weight of a person.
Bottom Line:
The avalanche danger is MODERATE today above
about 9,000 feet on northeast, north and northwest facing slopes, approaching
35 degrees and steeper. Very dangerous
human triggered slides are possible in this terrain. On most other slopes the avalanche danger is generally
LOW.
Mountain Weather:
High pressure will dominate
our weather today before a storm passing to the north brings us clouds and
cooler temperatures on Sunday. Skies
will be mostly sunny but with increasing high clouds today. Temperatures will be warm, getting into the
upper thirties and low forties at 8,000 feet and around 30 at 10,000. Winds will be breezy, with 15 to 25 mph winds
from the west on the high ridges. Sunday
should be mostly cloudy and cooler. High
pressure will return next week but there is a possibility of a storm about this
time next week.
General Information:
For a complete list of
evening talks and multi-day classes, visit www.avalanche.org
and click on
To report backcountry snow
and avalanche conditions, especially if you observe or trigger an avalanche,
call (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email to
We will update this advisory by
Thanks for calling!
________________________________________________________________________
National
Weather Service - Salt Lake City - Snow.
For an explanation of
avalanche danger ratings: