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

Wednesday, January 31, 2007  7:30 am
Good morning, this is Evelyn Lees with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  Today is Wednesday, January 31, 2007 and it’s 7:30 in the morning.

Today is the last day to purchase tickets for this Friday’s fundraiser dinner at The Canyons with guest speaker Olympic Gold Medal Winner Jim Shea, which our partners, the Friends of the UAC, are hosting.  For tickets and information visit www.UtahAvalancheCenter.com

 

Current Conditions:

A trace to an inch or two of pixie dust is coating the old snow surface this morning…not enough to change the riding conditions, but at least it improves the visuals.  But don’t sneeze before your run, or you might blow the stuff away.  Temperatures this morning are in the low to mid teens, with single digits remaining in the 11,000’ terrain.  Winds are from a northerly direction, generally in the 5 to 10 mph range, with average speeds reaching 20 to 25 mph in the most exposed terrain.

 

Snowpack and Avalanche Conditions:

And yes, it’s true; the combination of smog and no snow does eat away your brain!

 

The same monotonous reports of sluffing on steep slopes came in yesterday, especially in the protected, shady mid elevation terrain.  If we actually get 3 or more inches of snow today, steep slopes of all aspects will try to get in on the sluffing action as the new snow is landing on weak, faceted snow of some type just about everywhere.  So once again, try to stay alert, and think about the terrain you’re traveling in so you don’t get surprised and pushed off a cliff or dumped into a gully and covered.


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

Today, the avalanche danger is generally LOW, with isolated pockets of MODERATE danger on steep slopes due to easily triggered sluffs in the loose, faceted snow.  Careful sluff management should keep you out of trouble.

 

Mountain Weather: 

The first of two weak, cold storm systems is pushing through northern Utah this morning.  1 to 3” of snow is possible this morning, with snowfall tapering off to showers this afternoon.  Winds will be from the north, in the 10 to 20 mph range, with slightly higher average speeds and gusts in the more exposed terrain.  Temperatures will cool into the single digits at 10,000’ and daytime highs will reach the low 20’s at 8,000’.   There will be a break tonight, with a second storm system affecting the area Thursday into Thursday night.  This one should be good for another few inches of snow and colder temperatures.  Then high pressure will move in for the weekend, with a strong warming trend next week.

 

Announcements:

Yesterday, the Wasatch Powderbird Guides did not fly, and will not fly today due to weather.  With questions regarding their areas of operation call 742-2800.

Two other fundraisers for our partners, the Friends of the UAC, are a half day avalanche class at the Canyons this Saturday and Sunday, February 3rd and 4th. (for more information and to register, call 435-615-3325) and finally, at 7:30 on February 8th, there will be a Teton Skiing documentary at Brewvies.  Details are below, or click here for more information

 

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.

I will
update this advisory by 7:30 on Thursday morning, and thanks for calling.