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

AVALANCHE ADVISORY

Thursday, March 09, 2006 7:30am
Good morning, this is Evelyn Lees with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory. Today is Thursday, March 09, 2006, and it’s about 7:30 am.

Current Conditions:

The cold front is racing through northern Utah this morning, and should reach the Salt Lake mountains by 9 am. Ahead of the front, snow is falling on a southwesterly flow, with 24 hour new snow totals (including yesterday’s fluff) around 4 to 8”. Winds have been a problem over the past 24 hours – blowing yesterday from the north to northwest, switching overnight to the southwest. Hourly averages across many ridges have been in the 15 to 25 mph range, with gusts commonly in the 30’s and 40’s. Temperatures are generally in the teens this morning. Turning and riding conditions will be excellent today in the deepening powder, especially in wind sheltered areas.

Recent Avalanche Activity & Snowpack Discussion:

Yesterday, backcountry travelers triggered few more loose sluffs, with the two largest on southeasterly facing slopes. They were slow moving, but running long distances on the crusts. The northerly winds also created a few problems, blowing the snow into soft drifts that were becoming more sensitive by the end of the day, especially along the higher ridgelines.

Sensitive wind drifts will be the main problem today, both those formed yesterday and today’s new drifts. The wide range of recent wind directions will have drifted snow onto slopes of many aspects, with drifting most widespread on north through east through south facing slopes. Out of the wind affected terrain, sluffs and soft slabs will be possible on steep slopes, especially during periods of very heavy snow fall. Today’s snow is sitting on yesterday’s couple inches of fluff, and will move easily in many places.

We also continue to be worried about a couple faceted weak layers now buried one to two feet deep, particularly a layer of mixed loose graupel and facets, sometimes associated with a thin crust. Each storm is overweighting this weak layer a bit more, creating the potential to release a deeper, wider slide, possibly triggered from a distance. There are only isolated areas where you could trigger this layer, most wide spread on mid and upper elevation, northwest through easterly facing terrain.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE today on slopes steeper than 35 degrees, especially with recent drifts of wind blown snow. Backcountry travelers will be able to trigger loose sluffs, soft slabs and wind drifts on many steep slopes, especially at the upper elevations. Natural avalanches are possible, so use careful route finding today, and avoid travel beneath steep slopes.

Mountain Weather:

The fast moving, vigorous cold front has all but arrived. A period of heavy snow fall, strong gusty winds, and even lightning should make for an exciting morning. Snow fall will become showery this afternoon, with snow totals of 6 to 12” expected by evening. The southwesterly winds will shift to the northwest with frontal passage, with strong gusts possible. Average speeds will be in the 15 to 30 mph range. Temperatures today will be in the low 20’s at 8,000’ and near 10 at 10,000’. A cold, unsettled pattern is expected Friday through the weekend, with mostly cloudy skies, light winds, and periods of light snow.

Announcements:

Here is a great link to a web site on avalanche beacon information, created by a person who did independent research and testing of avalanche beacons. http://beaconreviews.com/transceivers/index.htm

There are several free automated avalanche beacon practice areas open, including one at Canyons, one on the by-pass road near Snowbird, one in the northwest corner of the lower lot at Solitude, and one at Nobletts Trail head in the western Uintas. They are really easy to use, and well worth stopping for a quick practice session.

Early birds and snow geeks can catch our 6AM report at 364-1591.

Click here to check out our new online avalanche encyclopedia.

Click HERE for a text only version of the avalanche advisory.

To have this advisory automatically e-mailed to you each day, click HERE.

UDOT also has a highway avalanche control work hotline for Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, and Provo canyons, which is updated as needed. 801-975-4838.

Yesterday, Wasatch Powderbird Guides did not fly yesterday and will not fly today due to weather. For more info, call 742-2800.

Please report any backcountry snow and avalanche conditions. Call (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, email [email protected] or fax 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.

Bruce Tremper will update this advisory by 7:30 Friday morning. Thanks for calling.