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.

“keeping you on top”

AVALANCHE ADVISORY

Monday, December 11, 2006 7:30 am
Good morning, this is Drew Hardesty with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory. Today is Monday, December 11, 2006 and it’s 7:30 in the morning.

Bruce Tremper will be speaking on ‘The Science of Avalanches’ Tuesday at 7pm at the SLC REI.

Current Conditions:

The Cottonwoods picked up about 8-10” of cold smoke overnight, with the Park City, Ogden, and Provo mountains receiving 3-5”. Densities cashed in at 6-7%, rolling in ‘right side up’ as temperatures dropped during the storm. After the cold front passed through, the winds shifted northwest and remained on good behavior blowing just 10-15mph. A few of the highest anemometers showing an hour or two in the 20mph range. Temps are now in the mid teens at most locations.

Snowpack and Avalanche Conditions:

Looks like we’re gonna get nickled and dimed. The overnight and expected water weights through the week probably won’t be enough to get things going until the weekend. As the steeper slopes on all aspects will sluff easily today, watch for how much snow they entrain and move across the fall line from sub-ridge to sub-ridge to avoid the loose snow. If we get any sun this afternoon, the sunnier aspects may remain active with this issue. Only the highest, most exposed ridgelines will likely have some very soft, sensitive wind drifts. A cornice drop or slope cut moving into safe terrain should be an effective tool for these.

The good news is that it will be excellent in the backcountry, if not a little scratchy underneath. If we get a bit more snow or wind than expected this morning before it clears out, watch for cracking and collapsing in the weaker snowpack areas and anticipate that buried weak layers of this nature allow avalanches to be triggered from a distance.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is MODERATE for loose and storm snow avalanches at the mid upper areas of the Salt Lake and Park City mountains. Along the periphery where storm totals were less than 5”, the danger remains generally LOW.

Mountain Weather:

The Cottonwoods picked up about 8-10” of cold smoke overnight, with the Park City, Ogden, and Provo mountains receiving 3-5”. Densities cashed in at 6-7%, rolling in ‘right side up’ as temperatures dropped during the storm. After the cold front passed through, the winds shifted northwest and remained on good behavior blowing just 10-15mph. A few of the highest anemometers showing an hour or two in the 20mph range. Temps are now in the mid teens at most locations.

Announcements:

Listen to the advisory. Try our new streaming audio or podcasts

Our new, state wide tollfree hotline is 1-888-999-4019.
(For early morning detailed avalanche activity report hit option 8)

For a list of avalanche classes, click HERE

For our classic text advisory click HERE.

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We appreciate any snowpack and avalanche observations you have, so please leave us a message at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at [email protected]. (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.

Brett Kobernik will update this advisory by 7:30 on Tuesday morning.