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
Saturday,
December 08, 2007 7:30 am
Good morning, this is
Avalanche Watch:
A special avalanche advisory has been continued for
the m
Current Conditions:
We needed
winter and its finally arrived. Storm
totals as of 6 am include 16 to 28 in the
Avalanche Discussion:
Yesterday,
reports of avalanche activity into old snow were concentrated in the upper elevations
of the Cottonwoods - upper Days, Silver and Big Cottonwood. Slides were about 50-75' wide, with one
triggered remotely, and several large collapses reported, all on northerly
facing slopes, above about 9,500. New
snow soft slabs were much more widespread on steep slopes, with slides failing
at both the density change within the new snow and near or at the new snow/old
snow interface.
Today, the
HIGH avalanche danger will be on any slope that has old, weak facets near the
ground. This weak layer is most
widespread on the upper elevation, northerly facing slopes in the Cottonwoods
and
On other steep
slopes through out the range, it will be possible to trigger new, soft snow
slab avalanches. These will be the most
sensitive and wide spread along the highest ridges and peaks where the winds
blew more strongly for a few hours last night.
Natural avalanches are possible in the steepest terrain, especially if
youre in an area where when precipitation intensities increase or if the winds
start to blow and drift snow. There are
numerous safer places to recreate today on slopes less steep than about 35
degrees and below about 9,500 in elevation, and especially if you avoid the
northerly facing slopes that retained old, October snow.
Bottom Line:
Salt Lake, Park City and Provo area
mountains: The avalanche
danger is HIGH on northwest, north
and northeast facing slopes above about 9000 feet, where avalanches up to 3 deep could be triggered, failing on a
weak faceted layer. The avalanche danger
is CONSIDERABLE on other mid and
upper elevation slopes steeper then around 35 degrees, with human triggered avalanches of new snow up to 2 deep probable and natural avalanches possible.
Mountain Weather:
An upper level trough
will remain over northern
Announcements:
Wasatch Touring in
For an avalanche education class list, click HERE.
If you want to get this avalanche advisory e-mailed to you daily click HERE.
The UAC has temporary job openings for doing avalanche outreach in more rural
areas. Click HERE for info.
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 our classic text
advisory click HERE.
If youre getting out and see anything we should know about please let us
know. You can leave 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.