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.

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AVALANCHE ADVISORY

Tuesday, January 23, 2007  7:30 am
Good morning, this is Brett Kobernik with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  Today is Tuesday, January 23, 2007 and it’s 7:30 in the morning.

Our partners, the Friends of the UAC, are hosting numerous events during the 4th Annual Backcountry Awareness Week, including a photo show by Scott Markowitz at the Rose Wagner Theater on Jan 24th, a slide show and book signing by Jill Fredston at REI on Jan 26th, a star studded snowmobile ride and dinner on Jan. 27th, a dinner February 2 at The Canyons with Olympic Gold Medal Winner Jim Shea, and avalanche classes at the Canyons on February 3rd and 4th.  Details are below, or click here for more information.

 

Current Conditions:

A few clouds rolled through late yesterday and last night and temperatures are generally in the low to mid 20s at the upper elevations and cooler down below.  Northwest winds blew a bit yesterday and last night mainly along the higher ridges.  They are in the 5 to 15 mph range gusting into the 20s but with higher gusts in the 40s and 50s at the more exposed locations.

 

Snowpack and Avalanche Conditions:

As far as snowpack and avalanche conditions go, the letters Y A W N sum it up nicely!  The newest snow from Sunday is still producing some sluffing and the winds did form some small drifts that people could get to crack along the upper elevation ridges.  Nothing is posing a real threat right now.  (PHOTOS)

 

Today we’ll want to watch for these new drifts along the lee of the ridges.  Northeast through southeast will be the most likely aspects to find these but remember that mountain terrain channels winds in many directions so you always need to pay attention when things blow.

 

The temperature inversion continues and the air at the upper elevations will warm quite a bit today.  This may induce some sluffing and loose snow slides on the southerly facing slopes.

 

Bottom Line for the Salt Lake, Park City, Provo and Ogden area mountains: 

For today most areas have a LOW avalanche danger.  You will find some areas that have a MODERATE danger which includes higher elevation terrain with fresh wind drifts and also watch southerly facing slopes for loose snow avalanche activity as the sun heats them.

 

Mountain Weather: 

Skies should clear out for the most part today and 8000 foot temperatures will get into the upper 30s and into the upper 20s to low 30s along the 9000 foot ridges.  Northwest winds will slow just a bit and blow in the 5 to 10 mph range gusting to around 20.  It will be a bit more blustery at the higher elevations with gusts into the 30s and 40s.  The next lame looking storm will affect us this weekend with the next small chance for snow.

 

Announcements:

The Wasatch Powderbird Guides were in American Fork and Lambs Canyon yesterday and if the winds allow they’ll be in Mineral, Cardiff, Days, Silver, Grizzly, White Pine, American Fork, Cascade and the Bountiful Sessions.  If you have questions regarding their areas of operation you can contact them at 742-2800.
 

On
January 24th at 7:30pm, our partners, the Friends of UAC will be accepting donations at a photo show by mountain sports photographer Scott Markewitz. Shot both internationally and in Utah, Scott’s images have been showcased in the world’s most prestigious ski and outdoor and capture the essence of what keeps us alive, twitching and checking this report daily. Suggested donation $10. At the Rose Wagner Blackbox Theater, 138 W 300 S in downtown SLC.

On Friday, January 26th, the well-known Alaska avalanche expert, Jill Fredston will give a slide show and a lecture on, Snowstruck, her new book about her career with Alaska avalanches.  It will be at the Salt Lake REI at 7pm.  Sales from her book will benefit the Utah Avalanche Center.  She will also speak at Alta’s Our Lady of the Snows on Saturday night, January 27th.


On Saturday Jan. 27th, come join us for a star studded fundraising ride. Click here for more details or call 801-963-3819. 

                                                    

Then there will be a Fundraising Dinner on Friday, February 2, 2007. The dinner will be at The Canyons and Olympic Gold Medal Winner Jim Shea will be the keynote speaker. For tickets and information visit www.UtahAvalancheCenter.com Also, the Canyons will be offering avalanche classes on Saturday and Sunday, February 3rd and 4th.  For more information and to register, call 435-615-3325.

 

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

UDOT highway avalanche control work information can be found HERE or by calling (801) 975-4838.

 

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.

Evelyn Lees will
update this advisory by 7:30 on Wednesday morning, and thanks for calling.