In
partnership with: The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department of
Public Safety Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management,
For photos of avalanches and
avalanche activity, visit: http://www.avalanche.org/%7Euac/photos_03-04.htm (Updated
3/25)
Photos sent in by observers
throughout the season visit: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/obphotos/observer.html (Updated
4/2)
For a list of backcountry avalanche
activity, visit: http://www.avalanche.org/%7Euac/Avalanche_List.htm (Updated
3/31)
Avalanche INFORMATION
Wednesday, October 20, 2004 4:00 pm
Good afternoon, this is Drew
Hardesty with the
ski swap at REI on Saturday, November 6th. Gear drop off will be on Thursday and Friday.
Current Conditions:
A broad moist Pacific storm
system has enveloped much of the western
The beauty of the high
density snow is twofold: first, it’ll
help to build a foundation to the snowpack that’ll start to cover up the rocks
and obstacles; secondly, it will hopefully give us something that won’t quickly
rot out if and when things calm down. That
early-season depth hoar is always the fear we have with early season
snowfall.
We’re not issuing danger
ratings, but suffice it to say that if there’s enough snow to ski or ride,
there’s likely enough to slide.
Precipitation rates have been quite intense and rapid loading tends to
make the snowpack cranky. So if you get
out in the next day or so, you might as well keep to safe travel practices and
watch for changing conditions. We almost
always have some early season close calls or fatalities. Best not to be on the wrong
end of an early season avalanche or season-ending injury.
Mountain Weather:
Orographic enhancement will
continue to accentuate the rain and snowfall in the mountains through the end
of the week. Temperatures will remain
relatively mild through Thursday evening with similar rain/snow lines until the
flow shifts to the northwest early Friday that may result in snow along the
benches. Post frontal lake enhanced
precipitation should continue Friday, followed by a slight break on
Saturday. Another, smaller system
follows for Sunday, with another large low pressure trough lining up for early
next week that is shaping up to be similar to the one currently affecting the
Wasatch.
If you are getting out, drop
us a line or an email with any reports or observations from the
backcountry. You can leave us a message
at 524-5304 or 1 800-662-4140. Email us
at [email protected], or a fax to
524-6301.
The
information in this advisory is from the US Forest Service, which is solely
responsible for its content. This
advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always
occur.
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