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,
April 01, 2007 7:30 am
Good morning, this is Drew Hardesty with
the
The Canyons Professional Ski Patrol Association is hosting a fundraiser
for the Friends of the
Current Conditions:
Partly cloudy skies
will gradually thicken throughout the day today ahead of a weak storm system
slated for tonight into tomorrow. The
southwesterly winds yesterday and hit speeds of 25-35mph along the high peaks,
but have since dropped off in the wee hours of the morning. Mountain temperatures are in the upper
twenties to low thirties. It’s still
possible to find some good cold snow among the wind and sun damage in the high
northerly terrain, and always, always worth the effort to be in the hills.
Avalanche Discussion:
The stronger westerly
winds loaded the high easterly aspects with stiffer wind drifts, allowing for ski
patrolmen to intentionally trigger a couple up to 16” deep in upper elevation
exposed terrain. One party triggered one
mid-slope
in north-facing upper Mineral Fork of Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Obviously tired of
playing cat and mouse with the snow since the mid-week storm, the sun rallied
to dampen the snow on all exposed aspects.
Its effects produced some loose snow naturals up high on northeast
facing Timpanogos and made conditions ripe for wet push-alanches
a few inches deep, running on the old melt freeze crusts. A late party or two pushed some down the
steep south facing terrain in upper Little Cottonwood.
Wet activity may be a
player again today, even on the high northeast and northwest facing slopes when
dampened. Tourers in the high terrain
should watch for gradually settling out scalloped and rounded wind drifts in
high east facing terrain. Both issues
should respond well to ski cuts with snow breaking at your ride or board(s).
Bottom Line for the
There is a localized
danger of MODERATE on slopes steeper than about 35
degrees with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. These drifts will be most widespread on
northeast through southeasterly facing slopes along the higher ridgelines. The avalanche danger will rapidly rise to MODERATE on and below steep sunny slopes with direct sun and
daytime heating.
Mountain Weather:
Increasing clouds and
southwesterly winds will herald this unimpressive system arriving tonight and
tomorrow. Temps will reach into the low
thirties today at 10,000’ and low 40’s at 8000’. Winds will ramp into the 35-40mph range late
this evening. High pressure rebounds for
later in the week.
Announcements:
The Wasatch Powderbird
Guides flew in Days,
Listen to the
advisory. Try our new streaming audio or
podcasts
UDOT highway avalanche
control work info can be found HERE
or by calling (801)
975-4838.
Our
statewide tollfree line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, 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 all the great
snowpack and avalanche observations we’ve been getting, so keep leaving us
messages 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 Monday morning, and
thanks for calling.