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:

        

 

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Avalanche INFORMATION

Friday, November 12, 2004 5:30 pm         

 

Good afternoon, this is Drew Hardesty with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather information.  Today is Friday, November 12th, 2004, and it’s 5:30 pm.  We’ll be issuing intermittent afternoon bulletins into mid November.   Come check out our new ‘Know Before You Go’ avalanche talk geared for the younger backcountry rider tomorrow night at the Sandy REI at 7pm.

 

Current Conditions: 

October went out like a lion, and so far November has been a lamb.  The mountains have picked up a few inches of snow and graupel over the past couple of days, but I’d have to call the conditions variable.  The backcountry buffet consists of a little powder, both breakable and supportable crusts, and near unsupportable isothermal wet snow at the low elevations.  Winds have been generally light and from the southeast with temperatures in the mid-twenties to mid-thirties.  

 

Avalanche Conditions:

While the snowpack is mostly stable, there are a couple of potentials to store in your cerebral filing cabinet over the weekend.  First, you might get some sluffing in the new snow and graupel on the steepest shady slopes, while sun and warm temperatures will start to produce some wet sluffs on the steeper south-facing terrain.   It might not be enough to bury you, but consequences might include getting knocked off your board, skis or machine then over a cliff or into some trees.  The other potential problem is at the lower elevation areas at about 8000’ and below.  The warmer temps have created a weak isothermal glop of mostly unsupportable damp to wet snow.  It’ll be important to avoid steep rollovers and gulleys that serve as terrain traps to catch and funnel this until cooler temperatures ‘lock up’ the snow at these elevations. 

 

As always, keep a heads-up for changing conditions.  Higher-than-forecasted snow and winds would certainly produce more sensitive conditions in the backcountry.

 

Mountain Weather:

As we’re still under the spell of a slow-moving cut-off Low to the south, we’ll see continued unsettled weather through the weekend.  We might see a trace to 3” every 12 hours or so.  Winds should remain light out of the southeast on Saturday, then move northeasterly by Sunday.  8000’ highs will be in the upper 30’s with 10,000’ temps in the upper 20’s.  A ridge builds in early Monday, with a decent storm possible for Friday. 

 

 

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 send 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. 

Thanks for calling.

 

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