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
“keeping
you on top”
AVALANCHE ADVISORY
Sunday,
December 31, 2006 7:30 am
Good morning, this is Drew Hardesty with
the
I’d like to say THANK YOU to Bob Athey, the
rest of our professional observers and the backcountry community-at-large for
calling in their snow, weather, and avalanche observations to us. We couldn’t do it with out you.
I’d like
to thank our longtime partner Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort for hosting Friday
night’s amazing fundraising dinner and film producer David Breashears for
sharing his spectacular new Everest Expedition film. A portion of the proceeds
will help the avalanche center.
Current Conditions:
It’s looking like 2006
will go out like a lame. I mean
lamb. The ridge of high pressure will
break down today to allow a system to dive south, and the ridge will redevelop
over the intermountain west. Skies are
clear this morning with temps in the mid twenties along the ridges, and down
into the single digits in the basins and valleys. Winds are generally less than 20mph from the
west northwest. Riding conditions are
fair on the sheltered slopes. It’ll be
like watching paint dry, but with the inversion and low level stratus, you can
almost watch the surface hoar grow in the mid and low elevations.
Snowpack and Avalanche Conditions:
We received reports of
four human triggered slides in the backcountry, which really could best be
described as pockety. Two were in the
sub-drainages of Days Fork of Big Cottonwood canyon and were less than a foot
deep and 50’ wide on steep north to northeast facing slopes above 9500’ (photo). Another skier triggered a couple 3-5” wind
skins in upper
It’s a mixed bag of
weaknesses in the upper, mid, and basement portions of the snowpack (see profiles). Remain alert for cracking and collapsing in
wind-affected areas and realize that a few booby-traps exist.
Bottom Line for the
Most terrain across
the Wasatch has a LOW danger today. Pockets of MODERATE
remain on west through north through east facing terrain above about 9000’. Anticipate some wet activity during the
midday on the sun-exposed slopes.
Mountain Weather:
It’ll be about a repeat of
yesterday with clear skies, light westerly winds and mountain temps near 30 at
10,000’ and the upper 30’s at 8000’. The
only thing to show for the splitting system tonight and will be a drop in
temps, a wind shift to the north, and a few clouds. The ridge redevelops on Tuesday with a storm
slated for the end of the week.
Announcements: Yesterday, the Wasatch Powderbird Guides flew in
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.
To sign up for automated e-mails of our graphical advisory click HERE
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.
I will update this advisory by 7:30 on Monday morning, and thanks for
calling.