Wasatch 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/

 

To receive automated e-mails of this advisory click HERE.

 

Avalanche advisory

Sunday, December 26, 2004

 

Good morning, this is Drew Hardesty with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  Today is Sunday, December 26, 2004, and its 7:30 in the morning. 

 

Registration for the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center’s 3-day January avalanche class is now being taken at the Black Diamond retail store.

 

Free Beacon Rescue Training Centers are now open at Snowbird and the Canyons.  For more information go to wasatchbackcountryrescue.org.

 

Current Conditions:

Skies are clear this morning with mountain temperatures in the mid to upper twenties.  The southwesterly winds picked up overnight and are now blowing 25-30 mph along the ridgelines.  Mid-elevation anemometers show winds pushing into the drainages at about 10-15mph. Snow surface conditions range from wind affected snow along the higher elevations, quasi-corn that probably won’t soften much today, and decent riding on the protected mid and upper elevation slopes.  If you’re not getting that adrenaline kick while in the hills, you’ll find plenty of excitement on the egress back the trailhead.

 

Avalanche Conditions:

Other than some isolated stubborn shallow wind drifts from Friday night’s northwesterly winds, there is little to report from the backcountry.  The winds shifted to the southwest during the day yesterday, so if you’re along the higher ridgelines keep an eye out for and skirt any of these new wind pillows that may have formed on a variety of aspects. 

 

Bottom Line:  The avalanche danger is LOW in most areas.  As always, avoid any recent deposits of wind-blown snow.  An isolated danger remains on steep north through east facing slopes, especially in thin snowpack areas. 

 

Mountain Weather:

Clouds should start to stream in from the southwest this morning with continued 20-25mph winds.  8000’ highs will be in the low 40’s with 10,000’ temps near 30.  Tonight’s inch or two should be the prelude to a couple of juicy looking Pacific storms for mid-week.

 

Yesterday Wasatch Powderbird Guides flew in Cardiff and Mineral.  Today, they’ll be in AF and Cascade.

 

We do an early morning update around 6am each day on the 364-1591 line.

 

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.

 

I will update this advisory by 7:30 on Monday morning.

 

Thanks for calling

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For an explanation of avalanche danger ratings:

http://www.avalanche.org/usdanger.htm