In partnership with:
The
NEW AND IMPROVED Friends of the Utah Avalanche
Center Home page is: http://www.utahavalanchecenter.com
To receive automated e-mails
of this advisory click HERE.
Avalanche advisory
Saturday, March 05,
2005
Good morning, this is
Current Conditions:
Same as it ever was—stuck in the doldrums—however you want to put it. Today will be remarkably similar to
yesterday. We’ll once again have some
mountaintop puffy clouds with light winds.
The 8,000’ temperatures are in the mid 20’s this morning and yesterday
they rose into the mid 30’s. Ridge top
temperatures are around 20 degrees with highs around 30’s. Although it’s kind of wind-hammered up above
tree line, you can still find some very nice nice, soft, dry recrystallized
snow that someone from out of state might mistake for powder. You can find the faux powder on the wind sheltered
north facing slopes, but the popular spots have lots of tracks so you need to
get a little creative. There’s also
some OK corn snow on mid and low elevation south facing slopes, but the clouds
and humidity keep the snow from a very good refreeze overnight.
Avalanche Conditions:
Same as it ever was once again. It has
been a week since the last reported human triggered avalanche in the
backcountry and the snowpack seems very relaxed, like a cat sleeping, draped
over the back of the couch. The only
avalanche activity you will likely find today will be very isolated, old, wind slabs on steep slopes mostly up above tree
line. There will also be a few, isolated
wet sluffs, mostly on slopes that face the south half of the compass at lower
elevations. Today would be another good
day to explore some of those places you’ve always wanted to go as long as you
use the normal caution.
Bottom Line (
The avalanche danger is generally LOW, and human triggered avalanches are unlikely on
most slopes.
The avalanche danger may rise to MODERATE in the heat
of the afternoon on slopes approaching 40 degrees when they get wet and mushy.
For an explanation of
avalanche danger ratings go to: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/ed-scale.htm
Mountain Weather: (You can find the afternoon Weather Update here.)
Yep, same as it ever was. Once again, we
have some mountaintop-level moisture that will pop up some puffy clouds in the
afternoon. The ridge top winds will
remain light from the southeast with ridge top temperatures around freezing and
8,000’ temperatures in the mid to upper 30’s.
On Sunday, a northerly flow should push out the moisture and we should
be mostly clear. Temperatures should be
slightly cooler on Sunday.
For the extended forecast, we still don’t see any significant snow for at least
another week, so it’s a good time to get caught up on things in the office—are you
listening Evelyn, Drew and Brett? On Tuesday and Wednesday, some short waves
will be going by to the east of us and it should make some stronger northwest
winds in the mountains.
Yesterday,
Wasatch
Powderbird Guides flew in White Pine, American Fork and Cascade. Today they will be in
If you have any snow or
avalanche observations, call and leave a message at 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140,
or e-mailing us at [email protected]. Fax is 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.
Drew Hardesty will update this
advisory by 7:30 on Sunday morning.
Thanks for calling.