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 19, 2004 7:30 pm         

 

Good evening, this is Evelyn Lees with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather information.  Today is Friday, November 19th, 2004, and it’s7:30 pm.  We’ll be issuing intermittent bulletins for about another week, and then may go to a regular morning schedule by Thanksgiving, weather cooperating.  

 

Current Conditions: 

A few flakes to a single stingy inch of snow fell Friday before skies partially cleared.  Temperatures are dropping, and will bottom out near 10 degrees by Saturday morning.  It’s not just the cold that will have your teeth chattering this weekend – most sunny and mid elevation slopes have a granite-like crust on the surface.  This will make for jarring turning conditions and the potential for a slide-for-life on steep slopes.  However, if you go over to the dark side, there are 4 to 8 inches of first-rate recrystallized powder on wind sheltered, shady slopes above about 9,000’, best if you can find an untracked line. 

 

Avalanche Conditions:

The snow pack is mostly stable, with the surface snow continuing to weaken.  A mix of recrystalized snow and surface hoar makes for load powder on the shady slopes.  On continuously steep, shady slopes, it is possible to trigger sluffs large enough to trip you up.  The wind speeds may increase Saturday night into Sunday, and any wind drifts formed, even shallow soft drifts, will be very sensitive and easily triggered by people.  Avoid any fresh drifts of wind blown snow, especially on steep, shady slopes.

 

Mountain Weather:

A cold, northerly flow tonight will become northeasterly and then easterly as the main trough moves south of the area and forms a now familiar cut-off low to the south of us.  Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy in the northern Utah mountains, with scattered snow showers generating accumulations in the zero to 3” range.  Day time temperatures will be in the 10 to 15 degree range at 10,000’ and near 20 at 8,000’.  The northeasterly winds may increase into the 15 to 25 mph range Saturday night and Sunday, drifting snow.  A more interesting storm is in the forecast for around Thanksgiving. 

 

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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