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 NEW Utah Avalanche Center Home page is: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/

 

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

 

Avalanche advisory

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

 

Good morning, this Brett Kobernik with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  Today is Tuesday, January 18, 2005, and it’s 7:30 in the morning.

 

The new UAC web page is up and operational.  Check it out at avalanche.org then click on Salt Lake City.  You may need to hit refresh in your browser if it does not open up.

 

Current Conditions:

As of 5 a.m. there are partly cloudy skies over the mountains.  Ridge top temperatures are in the mid 20’s and winds are around 10 mph from the NW.

 

Avalanche Conditions:

It’s a good news bad news type of day.  The good news is that no avalanche activity was reported from the backcountry yesterday.  Also, if you can call it good, the search has been called of in Dutch’s Draw with a final fatality number of only one which is much lower then expected.  The bad news is that most savvy backcountry users including myself are still not willing to get onto their favorite steep slopes that have not recently slid.  (photos of slopes that have slid)

 

The high pressure affecting the area this week is probably just the remedy we need to help the snowpack adjust and quiet down. With the astounding water weight that was added from the last storm cycle it’s best to give it some more time.  This unusual storm cycle has the old timers digging out their old records for comparison which illustrates that this was not our normal event.  This is just another reason to relax until we get back to usual conditions.

 

Bottom Line (Salt Lake, Park City, Ogden and Provo mountains):

The avalanche danger is MODERATE on and below all northwest through the easterly facing slopes approaching 35 degrees and steeper.  Remember, however, that there’s no such thing as moderately dead.  Human triggered avalanches are possible.  If you feel you need to get onto steep slopes, try using a slope that has already avalanched.  Also, the cloud cover today may hold the warm air in and may accentuate wet activity at the mid-to-low elevations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mountain Weather:

It may sound like blasphemy to powder enthusiasts, but I know I’m not the only person welcoming the high pressure ridge affecting Utah currently.  It’ll give us a well needed break but hopefully it won’t last too long.  Upper level moisture will move into northern Utah this morning but with stable air this will only result in high clouds.  8000’ temperatures will reach around 40 with 10,000’ temperatures around 30.  Ridgetop winds will increase to 15 to 20 mph from the northwest this morning and taper back off this afternoon.

 

A high pressure ridge will continue to affect Utah for the next few days bringing warmer temperatures with a minor short wave disturbance Thursday night into Friday.  This will result in cloudy skies with no precipitation.

 

Yesterday Powderbird Guides flew in AF and will be busy today in Mineral Fork, Cardiff, Silver Fork, Days Fork, Lambs Canyon, Sessions Mountains, White Pine, and Grizzly Gulch.

 

UDOT HAS A NEW ROAD AND AVALANCHE HOTLINE FOR THE COTTONWOODS: 975-4838.

 

Snowbird is hosting its 2nd annual Backcountry Avalanche Awareness Week January 31 – February 7th as a benefit for the Utah Avalanche Center.  On Friday, February 4th, there will be a fundraising dinner at Snowbird with presentations by Utah Governor, Jon Huntsman and also Dave Breashears and Apa Sherpa and Lhapka Rita.  On February 5th and 6th, there will be a variety of classes offered at Snowbird.  For more information, go to www.backcountryawareness.com.

 

 

We appreciate hearing from you especially if you have information about recent avalanche activity so don’t hesitate to call and leave a message at 524-5304, or 1-800-662-4140, or e-mail us at [email protected]

 

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.

 

Evelyn Lees will update this advisory by 7:30 on Wednesday morning.

 

Thanks for calling

  

 

For an explanation of avalanche danger ratings:

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