Wasatc h
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
Good Morning. This is Tom Kimbrough with the
Current Conditions:
Yesterday may have been just
about the best day of the season with two feet or more of new snow in the Wasa
Turning and sledding
conditions are very good, especially on moderate angle slopes. On very steep slopes, you may still be hitting
some old crusts. Trail breaking is
getting to be a chore in the areas with the most new snow.
Avalanche Conditions:
The benign avalanche conditions of the last several days are
changing rapidly with the increase in wind.
Yesterday, the only activity reported was loose snow sluffs and a few
shallow soft slabs, although some of the sluffs were getting rather large and
long running by the afternoon.
Today, the increasing winds will be creating sensitive drifts of
wind blown snow, especially in upper elevation terrain. Slope cuts, while still effective today, will
be a more serious undertaking with drifts breaking up to two or more feet deep. Cornices will be sensitive and may break off spontaneously
creating some natural avalanches. Out of
the wind affected terrain loose snow sluffs could be big enough to bury a
person. If the sun comes out, even briefly,
the danger of damp and wet snow avalanches will rapidly increase.
Bottom Line (SLC,
The avalanche danger is MODERATE on wind drifted
slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. At
the highest elevations near and above timberline, the danger is CONSIDERABLE with some
natural avalanches possible.
Mountain Weather:
We will get a bit of a break
for awhile this morning but another impulse is due to arrive this afternoon
with snow continuing through tonight.
Skies will be mostly cloudy with occasional snow showers becoming more
intense later today. 8,000 foot
temperatures will get up to around 30 degrees and in the twenties at
10,000. Winds will be 15 to 25 mph over
the ridges from the northwest. Additional
accumulations in the Cottonwoods could be around 6 to 12 inches by Monday
morning, with perhaps 4 to 8 inches in other areas. This next impulse is the last in the
series. High pressure will start to
build tomorrow, beginning a return to warm spring weather.
General Information:
This is my last advisory after almost 40 years in the snow and
avalanche business. My years have melted
away like new snow under the bright spring sun.
I only regret that some of my good friends didn’t last as long as I have. It’s been wonderful work and I hope I have
been of some use to you. Many thanks to all of you backcountry folks, all of the Wasa
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.
Ethan Green will update this advisory by
Thanks for calling!
________________________________________________________________________
National
Weather Service - Salt Lake City - Snow.
For an explanation of
avalanche danger ratings: