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

Sunday, January 26, 2003

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To see cool photos of recent avalanche activity CLICK HERE (Updated 1-18-03)

To see a list of recent avalanches, CLICK HERE, (Updated 1-25-03)

To see graph of the current snow profile CLICK HERE (Updated 1-21-03)

Good Morning. This is Ethan Greene with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory. Today is Sunday, January 26, 2003, and it’s 7:30 in the morning. This advisory is brought to you by our partner, the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, generously supported by Black Diamond Equipment.

Current Conditions:

Snow showers yesterday laid down a trace to about a half an inch of new snow in the mountains. Overnight under partly to mostly cloudy skies temperatures dipped into the mid 20’s at 8,000’ and high teens at 10,000’. Mid elevation areas in the Provo and Ogden Area Mountains stayed near 30 degrees most of the night. The winds have been from the west and west-northwest in the 10 mph range. Along the highest ridgelines overnight wind speeds were in the 20 mph range.

In many areas the new snow has a thin crust on the surface. The snow surface is firmest on southerly slopes. Northerly aspects are a mix of dense powder and zipper crusts.

Avalanche Conditions:

Over the past three days the mountains have picked up 3 to 4 inches of dense new snow. In most places our snowpack remains quite weak, but about a half an inch of water over three days was not enough of a load to produce much avalanche activity. Westerly winds increased into the 10 – 20 mph range overnight, and as a result you may find shallow wind pillows along exposed ridgelines. In areas where the snowpack is loose and weak even point release avalanches can entrain enough snow to burry an unsuspecting winter traveler. Sluff avalanches are most dangerous in areas where they can take you over a cliff or burry you in the bottom of a gully.

As the cloud cover decreases today southerly aspects may heat up enough to produce wet point release avalanches. If you see roller balls or small sluffs its time to stay off of and out from under steep sun exposes slopes.

Bottom Line (SLC, Park City, Ogden and Logan Area Mountains):

Today the avalanche danger is greatest on steep slopes with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. The danger may increase this afternoon on steep sun exposed slopes, but in general the avalanche danger is LOW.

Western Uintas – call 1-800-648-7433 or click here for weekend and holiday forecasts.

Mountain Weather:

A short wave ridge will move over northern Utah today bringing warm temperatures light westerly winds and partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will rise into the low 40’s at 8,000’ and low 30’s at 10,000’. Winds will be from the west in the 10 mph range. The cloud cover will be decreasing this morning and the skies should be partly cloudy by mid day. Cloud cover will increase this evening as the next weak Pacific disturbance approaches. Monday’s weather will be slightly cooler with snow showers. The best chance for snow is Monday night into Tuesday.

General Information:

Wasatch Powderbird Guides will flying in the American Fork drainage today.

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, supported by Voile and Milosport, are offering an intensive three-day avalanche class February 15 – 17. Half of the spots are reserved for snowboarders. To sign up call the Black Diamond retail store at 801-278-0233.

On Sunday February 2^nd there will be a fundraiser for the Wasatch Backcountry Rescue avalanche dog program. Tickets are available at the Black Diamond retail store. Please call 435-615-2226 for more information and additional ticket locations.

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 [email protected] or fax to 801-524-6301. 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.

I will update this advisory by 7:30 on Monday morning.

Thanks for calling!

________________________________________________________________________

National Weather Service - Salt Lake City - Snow.

For an explanation of avalanche danger ratings:

http://www.avalanche.org/usdanger.htm