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
Saturday,
February 08, 2003
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HERE, (Updated
Good Morning. This is Tom Kimbrough with the
Current Conditions:
It isn’t a heat wave but
mountain temperatures are now about 5 degrees warmer than at this time
yesterday, with most stations a little above zero at dawn. Winds are light from the northeast. After a week of the best turning and riding
conditions of the winter, the sun is starting to crust southerly facing slopes
and there is a little wind damage in exposed upper elevation terrain. Lots of popular slopes are tracked now but
there is still plenty of delightfully fluffy powder.
Avalanche Conditions:
Yesterday I was thinking that
the snow was starting to gain some stability after a scary series of human
triggered avalanches this week. Today I
am rethinking that idea…. Yesterday there were at least three close calls: A total burial near
All week the avalanche
activity has been quite consistent: Hard slabs breaking up to a foot or more
beneath the dirty layer from last Saturday’s west desert dust storm. This is the layer that was on the surface
through most of January. Others are
breaking in depth hoar near the ground.
Most of these slides were in places that had already avalanched
previously this season and thus have a relatively thin snowpack. They were all at higher elevations and were
on northwest through east facing slopes.
Most can be characterized as steep rocky places. There is a lot of conjecture among the local
avalanche workers as to just what is going on in the snow pack. It is possible that the combination of the
tropical temperatures of a week ago and this week’s arctic cold has produced
temperature differences in the snow pack that are contributing to the long
lasting instabilities. It is even
possible that that in places the snow pack weaknesses are increasing. What we do know for sure is that the
avalanche activity is continuing and that these slides are tricky and very
dangerous hard slabs breaking two or more feet deep and involving a lot of
snow. If you are getting out this
weekend carry avalanche rescue gear and use all of your safe travel
skills: One at a time on the slope and
get out of the way at the bottom.
Bottom Line (SLC,
The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on slopes
steeper than about 35 degrees that face northwest, north, northeast and east
and are above about 9,000 feet (Ogden – MODERATE above 8,500). Dangerous human triggered avalanches are
possible in these areas. I expect the
cold temperatures will keep the sun from starting any wet slides but if the
snow does get moist, the danger will rise on southerly facing slopes. On slopes less steep than 35 degrees, at
lower elevations and on south facing slopes that are not getting wet, the
avalanche danger is generally LOW.
Mountain Weather:
It will be another beautiful but
cold winter morning with increasing clouds in the afternoon. High temperatures will only get into the
teens at 8,000 feet and will be around 10 degrees at 10,000. Winds will be light from the northeast. A weak disturbance crossing
General Information:
Wasa
We will be giving a free
avalanche awareness talk at Milo Sport on Wednesday, February 12th
at 7:00 pm. They are on 3300 South and
3119 East.
The Banff Film Festival is
coming to Kingsbury Hall February 12th and 13th, with
proceeds donated to the Friends of the Utah
The Friends of the Utah
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.
Evelyn Lees will update this advisory by
Thanks for calling!
________________________________________________________________________
National
Weather Service - Salt Lake City - Snow.
For an explanation of
avalanche danger ratings: