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
Friday,
January 05, 2007 7:30 am
Good morning, this is Evelyn Lees with
the
Current Conditions:
It’s around 7 am, and
I’m still trying to figure out how to call in sick today. In a normal year, a “storm” with totals of
8-12” wouldn’t qualify for sneaking out of work, but with the current season,
it’s looking like a lot of fun. The
mountain snow was fairly evenly distributed from
Snowpack and Avalanche Conditions:
The new snow landed on
a wide assortment of old snow surfaces, including hard old wind slabs and weak,
recrystalized powder. Yesterday, loose
snow sluffing was common, with one natural soft slab avalanche reported in the
Today, I expect
similar activity until the winds increase and start to drift the new snow. This morning, the new snow will sluff easily
on steep slopes – some of these sluffs could be long running, so be alert to
parties below you. Yesterday, I found
the weakest snow on those sheltered, shady slopes that had the best recrystalized
snow conditions the past few days. All
it took was a hard turn or a quick slide slip to get the new snow
sluffing. Often the weaker snow was
several turns off the wind hammered ridgelines and more pronounced at mid
elevations and along the low elevation creek beds and steep road cuts. Today will be a great day to jump on small
test slopes, kick cornices if possible, and definitely avoid terrain traps such
as gullies. The now hidden, hard old
wind slabs can still be triggered in isolated palaces, so don’t get
surprised. The northerly winds are
forecast to increase later this afternoon, and once they start to drift the
snow into more cohesive drifts, the avalanche danger will rise.
I don’t expect slides
to break into the deeper faceted weak layers today, but with the junk show of a
snow pack we have, the possibility does exist, especially in areas where the
snow pack is less than about a meter deep.
Watch for cracking and listen for collapsing, or whoomphing noises,
indications of the potential for a deeper release.
Bottom Line for the
Today, the avalanche
danger is MODERATE on all slopes steeper than about 35
degrees, at upper, mid and low elevations.
As the wind speeds increase this afternoon and tonight, the avalanche
danger will rise to CONSIDERABLE
on steep, wind drifted slopes. If you
stay on slopes less steep than about 35 degrees, which are not connected to or
below steeper slopes, the avalanche danger is generally LOW.
Mountain Weather:
A few final snow
showers this morning could add another inch or two of feathery snow before
skies clear. Temperatures will be cold
today, in the low teens at 8,000’ and near zero at 10,000’. The increasing northerly winds will make it
feel even colder, as they pick up into the 15 to 20 mph range with gusts in the
30’s. Along the higher ridges, 25 mph
averages with gusts in the 50’s will be possible late afternoon. A fast moving disturbance will move into
northern
Announcements: Yesterday, the Wasatch Powderbird Guides did not
fly, and if they can fly today, they will be in Mineral,
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.
Brett Kobernik will update this advisory by 7:30 on Saturday morning,
and thanks for calling.