Wasatch Cache National Forest
In partnership with: Utah State Parks and Recreation, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department of Emergency Services and Homeland Security and Salt Lake County.

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center Home page is: http://www.utahavalanchecenter.com

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Avalanche advisory

Saturday, April 09, 2005
Good morning, this is Evelyn Lees with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  Today is Saturday, April 09, 2005, and its 7:30 in the morning.

Current Conditions:
Yesterday’s storm dropped about 6 to 9” of snow in Little Cottonwood Canyon, with 2 to 6” throughout the rest of the range. Overnight, light snow showers added less than an inch to those numbers. This morning, temperatures are significantly cooler, generally in the low to mid 20’s. The winds have been pesky over the last 24 hours, occasionally blowing in the 20 to 30 mph range, but are currently averaging less than 15 mph from a westerly direction. Turning and riding conditions were rather interesting yesterday, as you punched into the old, unsupportable damp snow at most elevations.

Avalanche Conditions:
Yesterday’s new snow bonded very poorly to the damp to wet old snow surfaces. On almost any steep slope, it was easy to trigger shallow new snow sluffs and soft slabs with slope cuts or by side slipping. And logically, the snow was most sensitive in terrain affected by the wind, breaking up to 50’ wide. A few small new snow naturals were reported off the highest peaks and in the gullies in Little Cottonwood, again in wind affected terrain. It will be interesting to find out if the new snow became better bonded overnight.

For today, it will be once again possible to trigger shallow new snow slides, especially if you are in an area that receives another 5 or more inches of snow or where the winds start to drift the snow. So watch for changing conditions in the terrain you are in today. Also, the wet sloppy snow at the lower elevations still has not had time to cool, and could sluff out to the ground. So avoid this sloppy snow on steep slopes, especially around terrain traps.

Bottom Line (Salt Lake and Park City, Ogden and Provo mountains):
The avalanche danger is MODERATE on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees, on all aspects and at all elevations. Especially avoid any fresh drifts of wind blown snow. There is a generally LOW danger on slopes less steep than about 35 degrees.
Danger Scale: http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/ed-scale.htm

Mountain Weather: (You can find the afternoon Weather Update here.)
A Pacific storm system will slowly move across Utah today, with the majority of the energy dropping across southern Utah. The northern mountains will have cloudy skies, with snow accumulations of 1-4” north of I-80 and 4 to 7” possible south of I-80. Temperatures will be near 30 degrees at 8,000’ and near 20 at 10,000’. The winds should shift to the north this morning, and gradually increase through out the day, reaching into the 20 to 30 mph range across the higher peaks. Tonight, skies will be partly cloudy, with a few scattered snow showers and moderate northerly winds. Decreasing clouds on Sunday as a ridge builds in.

Wasatch Powderbird guides didn’t fly yesterday and probably won’t get out today.

The advisory on our web page contains a user survey. Please take a few minutes to complete it so we can better our forecasts for you. The web site is utahavalanchecenter.com, click on Wasatch Range.

UDOT COTTONWOOD CANYONS HOTLINE FOR ROAD CLOSURE AND AVALANCHE CONTROL INFORMATION: 975-4838.

If you are getting out, we appreciate your snowpack and avalanche observations. Please call and leave a message at 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or e-mail 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.