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
AVALANCHE ADVISORY
Monday,
April 24, 2006 3:00 pm
Hello, this is the
Just because there are
no more advisories doesn’t mean that there are no more avalanches, it just
means that we have run out of money and all of our staff has headed off to
their summer jobs.
Here is a little
primer on the avalanche conditions you can expect this spring and how to get
the information you need.
As you know, spring is
the season that can never make up its mind whether it’s winter or summer. We usually have cold snow storms once a week
with very warm summer-like weather in between.
In other words, you have to deal with both dry and wet avalanches, often
in the same day.
First for the dry
avalanches:
Most every storm is
also accompanied by wind, so as usual, you should
avoid steep slopes with recent wind deposits.
They will look smooth and rounded and often feel slabby or punchy. Also, many storms contain density inversions
within the new snow, so you should always jump on small test slopes to see how
they respond. Remember that ski areas
are closed for the season, so there is no one knocking down the avalanches with
explosives each morning before you arrive.
It’s always hard this time of year to switch your brain around and
remember your favorite mogul field could easily produce an avalanche that can
kill you. Don’t jump in on top of
another party and get out of the way at the bottom.
Next for wet
avalanches:
As we always say, snow is a lot like people, it doesn’t like rapid change. One of the most rapid changes snow can endure
is when cold, dry snow is blasted by hot springtime sunshine and warm temperatures. The first sign of trouble is when you see rollerballs coming down the slope. As the snow becomes wetter, it produces
point-release wet sluffs and occasionally wet slabs. As always, you should get off of and out from
underneath any steep slope when you are sinking into wet snow.
When you head out for
some springtime corn snow, the way you play the game is to get out early and
get home early. Start on the southeast
facing slopes in morning when the sun softens them up enough to get a grip, then
move progressively onto the south facing slopes, southwest and west facing
slopes as the sun makes the snow soft and punchy. You should be home by about noon. You can check for refreezes at night by
monitoring the automated weather stations at Alta and Snowbird, which will run
through the spring. With a clear sky and
dry air, the snow surface will refreeze even with air temperatures as high as
38 degrees, but with a cloudy sky you need temperatures of freezing or below. A moderate to strong breeze can also help to
delay the snow surface getting mushy during the day. Be sure to bookmark the National Weather Service page and you
should regularly consult the Snow
Page, the Satellite
Imagery page (look at infrared Western U.S. 2km).
Also avoid traveling
beneath slopes with glide
cracks as they can release at any time of day or night. You will find them on steep slopes underlain
by rock slabs or smooth, grassy slopes, such as Stairs Gulch, Broads Fork and
Mill B South.
If there is anything
we should know about, continue to let us know by calling (801) 524-5304 or
1-800-662-4140, email [email protected]
or fax 801-524-6301
Well, good luck, stay
on top and we’ll talk to you again next fall.