In
partnership with: The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department of
Public Safety Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management,
To have this advisory automatically e-mailed to you each day free of charge, visit: http://www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=16351h
For photos of avalanches and
avalanche phenomenon, visit: http://www.avalanche.org/%7Euac/photos_03-04.htm (Updated
3/6)
Photos sent in by observers
throughout the season visit: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/obphotos/observer.html (Updated
3/12)
For a list of backcountry avalanche
activity, visit: http://www.avalanche.org/%7Euac/Avalanche_List.htm (Updated
3/9)
Early morning preliminary information by about 6:00 am: 801-364-1591
Avalanche advisory
Saturday, March 13, 2004, 7:30 am
Good
morning, this is Evelyn Lees with the
Current Conditions:
A weak, dry cold front slipped silently by last night, with slightly cooler temperatures the only trace of its passing. Skies are clear this morning, and temperatures have dropped to near 20 above 10,000’ and into the low to upper 20’s at most mid and low elevation sites. Winds are from a westerly direction, and have increased into the 15 to 25 mph range across the highest peaks, and are 5 to 10 mph at the more sheltered stations.
Everybody can join in today’s Wasatch backcountry classic - good corn on sunny east through south through west facing slopes and dry, recrystalized powder on mid and upper elevation, northerly facing slopes. With cooler temperatures and winds, the sunny slopes will be slower to soften today, so the timing for corn will be much later, with mid elevation slopes the best bet for the early birds.
Avalanche Conditions:
Melt freeze snow is very strong in its frozen form, so the snowpack is mostly stable this morning and the avalanche danger low. With day time heating and sun, the danger of wet loose sluffs may rise to moderate at the low and mid elevations and on the steep, sunny slopes. As always, if the snow gets wet and sloppy at your location, it’s time to switch to an aspect with cooler snow and stay off of and out from under steep slopes with wet snow.
There is a potential for a nasty “slide for life” on the slick, hard crusts. Crampons, the use of an ice axe or other self arrest device, and rough clothing instead of slick nylon may increase your safety for travel on steep, frozen slopes.
Bottom
Line for the Wasatch Range, including the
The avalanche danger is LOW this morning. With daytime heating, the danger may rise to MODERATE on some steep sun exposed slopes and at mid and lower elevations.
Mountain Weather:
A slightly cooler northwest flow will set up over
northern
For specific digital forecasts for the
General Information:
Yesterday, the Wasatch Powderbird Guides flew in American Fork. Today they will operate in American Fork, White Pine and Snake Creek.
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.
Drew Hardesty will update this advisory Sunday morning.
Thanks for calling.
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