Wasatch Cache National Forest

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: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/

 

 

                            To have this advisory automatically e-mailed to you each day free of charge, click HERE.  

                            For photos of avalanches and avalanche phenomenon, click HERE.      (Updated 2/12)

                            Photos sent in by observers throughout the season click HERE.      (Updated 2/12)

                            For a list of backcountry avalanche activity, click HERE.     (Updated 2/12)

 

Avalanche advisory

Thursday, February 12, 2004,   7:30 am

 

Good morning, this is Andrew McLean with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  Today is Thursday, February 12, 2004, and it’s 7:30 a.m.

 

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center has a few spots left in their three day avalanche class this weekend, February 14-16.  For more information or to sign up, contact Black Diamond Retail at (801) 278-0233.  2092 E. 3900 S.

 

Current Conditions:

If today feels cold, that’s because it is cold!  As of 5:00am this morning, we have a new record for Feb 12 of -4 degrees at the Salt Lake City airport, which is the coldest it’s been here in over eight years.  Due to a temperature inversion, the mountains are currently about the same, but will be warming up by almost 30 degrees over the course of the day to an expected 8,000’ high of 25 degrees under clear, sunny skies.   The mountains received anywhere from an angry inch to 4” of new yesterday with light northerly winds.  In the backcountry, steep, exposed lines were being furiously plucked off with glowing reports of perfect conditions.

 

Click here for 90k upper Little Cottonwood panorama from Feb 10.  

 

Avalanche Conditions:

The small amount of new, very light density snow has been gently pushed around by moderate but steady ridgetop winds.  These winds blew predominately from the north and have created soft, fresh pockets of wind deposited new snow in upper elevation terrain.  These pockets have formed on the lee side of ridgelines will be sensitive to the weight of a person.  Look for, and avoid, those inviting puffy mounds of marshmallow-like snow around the upper rims of the peaks and send cornices down on them when possible.

 

On steep, shady slopes, loose snow sluff will still be concern today.  These can be held in check by firm slope cuts and being aware of the consequences of being caught from behind, should they sneak up and catch you.

 

Bottom Line for the Wasatch Range, including the Salt Lake, Park City, provo and OGden AREA MOUNTAINS:

The avalanche danger will be generally low today with the exception of upper elevation terrain with recent deposits of wind drifted snow, where it will be moderate.  

 

Uinta Mountains:  For Uinta specific information, click on Western Uintas on the advisory page or phone 1-800-648-7433.

Logan: click HERE or call 435-797-4146

 

Mountain Weather:

A dry airmass and high pressure system will ooze over the mountains today, bringing warmer temperatures and clear skies.  The warming trend will continue through Friday when daytime highs should reach into the upper 30’s.  Winds will be moderate out of the northeast.  The cautiously pessimistic best chance for new snow will be on Saturday night with the President’s Day weekend looking mostly cloudy with temperatures in upper 20’s.

 

For specific digital forecasts for the Salt Lake, Provo or Ogden mountains, CLICK HERE.

 

General Information:

The Wasatch Powderbird Guides flew in the Day’s, Mineral and White Pine drainages yesterday and today they will be operating in Silver, Day’s, Cardiff, Mineral, Alexander, Porter Fork and White Pine.

 

Some gear was lost Sunday morning on the Alta to Flagstaff up track.  If you found it, please call 801-554-5139.

 

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 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. 

 

Bruce Tremper will update this advisory Friday morning.

Thanks for calling.

 

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