In partnership with: The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department of Public Safety
Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, and Utah
State Parks
To have this advisory automatically e-mailed to you each day free of charge, click HERE.
Good morning, this is Drew Hardesty with the
THE AVALANCHE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT. DUE TO THE HEAVY SNOW AND WINDS, THE
MOUNTAINS FROM THE UTAH/IDAHO BORDER SOUTH TO THE WASATCH PLATEAU, INCLUDING
THE UINTAS HAVE A HIGH AVALANCHE DANGER.
LARGE NATURAL AND HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES CAN BE EXPECTED.
Current Conditions:
With storm
totals in the 3-4’ range, the Wasatch experienced a significant avalanche cycle
yesterday that is likely to continue into today. Natural avalanches were reported across the
range on a variety of aspects and elevations, with control teams reporting
crowns in the 2-4’ range, with some breaking into old snow. Many avalanche slopes released multiple times
and both Little Cottonwood and American Fork canyons were closed. Details are still filtering in, but yesterday
a very large natural avalanche ran down into the Aspen Grove area on Timpanogas,
burying seven people. Of those caught, four
were rescued from the debris.
Tragically, there are three people still missing in the avalanche this
morning. Rescue efforts were called off
due to the dangerous avalanche conditions last night and the teams are likely
to return this morning.
Avalanche Conditions:
Overnight the
Bottom Line (
There remains a HIGH danger of avalanches on steep slopes in high, mid, and low elevation terrain. Natural and human triggered avalanches will be likely. Those without good route finding or rescue skills should avoid the backcountry today.
Uinta
Mountains: A specific advisory for
the
Mountain Weather:
Today will
be a day of transition as the bulk of the storm moves on to the east. As the flow shifts northwest, areas favored
by this flow could see an additional 4-8” in bands over the course of the day. Skies may turn mostly cloudy later this evening. Winds will be out of the northwest in the
20mph range. Temperatures will be zero
at 10,000’ and in the single digits at 8000’.
Tomorrow will give us a bit of a break with a splitty
looking storm on tap for Monday.
For
specific digital forecasts for selected mountain areas from the National
Weather Service, click the links below or choose your own specific location at
the National Weather
Service Digital Forecast Page.
3-Day Table |
3-Day Graph |
7-Day Table |
General
Information:
The Wasatch Powderbird Guides will not fly today unless they get a window for control work on the highways.
If
you are getting into the backcountry, please give us a call and let us know
what you’re seeing, especially if you trigger an avalanche. You can leave a message at 524-5304 or
1-800-662-4140. Or you can e-mail an
observation to uac@avalanche .org, or you can fax an
observation to 801-524-6301.
The
Friends of the
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 on Sunday morning.
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