In
partnership with: The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department of
Public Safety Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management,
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For photos of avalanches and avalanche
phenomenon, visit: http://www.avalanche.org/%7Euac/photos_03-04.htm (Updated
2/12)
Photos sent in by observers
throughout the season visit: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/obphotos/observer.html.
(Updated
2/12)
For a list of backcountry avalanche activity, visit: http://www.avalanche.org/%7Euac/Avalanche_List.htm. (Updated 2/12)
Avalanche advisory
Wednesday, February 18, 2004, 7:30 am
Good
morning, this is Andrew McLean with the
As of
yesterday afternoon,
Current Conditions:
Over the last 30 hours, our snowpack has been impersonating the Wicked Witch of the West, who screamed “I’m melting!” With temperatures in the mid to high 40’s yesterday at 8,000’, we’ve lost 2 - 3 inches of depth on an average and made up for it in places with a trace to 1” of new. A wind advisory has been issued for today with gusts of 60+ mph expected on the ridgelines under overcast skies. For turning and riding conditions, you’ll be wishing there was “no place like home”, with plenty of gloppy, crusty snow in the Wasatch mountains.
Avalanche Conditions:
Wet slide activity will be the major concern today
with the mid to lower elevations seeing the most action. These wet slides can range from small point
release sluffs all the way up to major avalanches. Yesterday, numerous slides hit the
Ice climbers will want to be especially careful
today and lower elevation backcountry travelers should avoid loitering in
terrain traps. Areas with slick,
underlying bedrock, such as the quartzite regions of
Bottom
Line for the Wasatch Range, including the
On mid elevation slopes steeper than 35 degrees, there is a moderate danger, with human triggered wet slides being possible. During the heat of the day, the danger will rise to considerable, with natural avalanches being possible. There will be a low danger of human triggered avalanches on slopes less steep than 30 degrees.
Mountain Weather:
Starting around midnight last night, the temperatures climbed above freezing in the mountains and will continue this trend until they reach a high in the upper 40’s today. Strong, gusty winds of up to 60mph out of the southwest are expected along the ridgelines, along with a chance of rain. These winds will start to decrease in the mid afternoon as the temperatures start to drop in advance of a cold front. Overnight temperatures will drift down into the low 20’s and 2 – 4 inches of snow is expected with moderate winds out of the NW. Mixed overcast weather will continue through the weekend, with possible daily snow accumulations of 2 – 4” expected.
For specific digital forecasts for the
General Information:
The Wasatch Powderbird Guides were grounded yesterday and will mostly likely be grounded again today. If not, they will be flying in Mineral, Days, Silver and White Pine.
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.
Thanks for calling.
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