Wasatc h
Cache National
Forest
In partnership with: The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center, Utah Department of Public Safety Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, and Utah State Parks
The Utah Avalanche
Center Home page is: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/
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Avalanche advisory
Tuesday,
December 21, 2004
Good morning, this is Evelyn
Lees with the
Registration for
the Friends of the
Free Beacon Rescue
Training Centers are now open at Snowbird and the Canyons. For more information go to
wasatchbackcountryrescue.org.
Current Conditions:
A cold northerly flow is over
the area this morning, with clear skies and temperatures in the single digits to
low teens. The northwesterly winds are mostly
in the 10 to 20 mph range, but across the highest peaks they are closer to 30,
with gusts in the 40’s.
There is a reason why those
trailhead parking lots are almost empty – patches of soft snow are few and far
between, and surrounded by inconsistent crusts. But if clean air, sunshine and solitude are on
your agenda, the Wasatch backcountry is as good as ever. Snowshoes or snowmobiles may be great way to
get around.
Avalanche Conditions:
The only report of
backcountry avalanche activity yesterday came from the
Although the snowpack has had over a week to strengthen, it’s
not safe to assume that any slope is stable. At the mid and upper elevations,
2 to 4 feet of dense snow overlie a persistent weak layer of faceted snow. Backcountry users still have the potential to
trigger these hard slabs if a weak point on the slope is found. The most likely place to trigger a slide would
be on a steep, northwest through easterly facing slope in a shallow, rocky
snowpack area.
Bottom Line (SLC,
The avalanche danger is LOW in most areas. A MODERATE danger remains on slopes steeper than
about 35 degrees, facing northwest thorough east. This danger may be more widespread outside of
the Tri Canyons, in areas where the snowpack is shallower. There is also a MODERATE
danger on any steep slope with recent deposits of wind drifted snow.
Mountain Weather:
A cold, northerly flow will
remain over the area through Thursday, with an embedded trough moving through
this evening. Clouds will increase today,
with a chance of snow by evening. About 2
to 4” of snow are possible by morning.
Winds today will be from the northwest, in the 15 to 20 mph range, with occasionally
stronger speeds across the highest ridges.
High temperatures will be near 20 at 8,000’ and 15 at 10,000’. Wednesday will be mostly cloudy and even
colder, with temperatures struggling to reach 15 at 8,000’ and in the low single
digits 10,000’. I’ll have our mountain weather forecast
out by about noon.
Wasatch Powderbird Guides did
not fly yesterday, and today will be in
Early birds and
snow geeks can catch our more detailed
information line at 364-1591. It’s
usually out by 6am
To report backcountry snow
and avalanche conditions, especially if you observe or trigger an avalanche,
call (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email to [email protected] or fax 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!
________________________________________________________________________
For an explanation of
avalanche danger ratings: