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 04, 2008 11:30 am
Good morning, this is Evelyn Lees with
the
Avalanche Watch:
An avalanche watch has been issued for the mountains of northern, central
and southern
Current Conditions:
Southerly
winds began increasing yesterday ahead of a major winter storm that will impact
the area through Monday. Currently, many
mountains stations have 15 to 25 mph averages, with gusts in the 50’s. Across the highest peaks, average wind speeds
are 35 to 50 mph, with “knock you off your feet” gusts to 70 mph. Temperatures have cooled into the low 20’s at
10,000’, and near freezing at 8,000’.
Sun and wind damage have taken their toll on the snow surface, with the
last of the decent settled powder tucked away on very sheltered shady slopes.
Avalanche Discussion:
No new
avalanches were reported from the backcountry.
It’s all
about the wind today. While the strong
winds are blowing some of the snow to
There are
still concerns about isolated places where weak facets near the ground and mid
pack weaknesses could be overloaded, resulting in deep slides. Activity the past week shows shallow snowpack
areas exist at a variety of aspects and elevations, not just the upper
elevation northerly facing slopes. As the day progresses,
increasing winds will drift additional snow (weight) onto these slopes, and
increase the potential for them to be triggered by backcountry users.
Bottom Line for the
There will be a rising avalanche danger
today and through out the weekend. For today, there are
pockets of CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger on steep, wind drifted slopes,
especially those with a shallow, weak underlying snowpack. Other slopes steeper than about 35 degrees
have a MODERATE danger.
Wind drifts will become deeper and more widespread as the day goes on,
and natural avalanche are possible.
There are isolated where a deeper, larger avalanche could be triggered,
especially in thinner snowpack areas.
Mountain Weather:
A potent
Pacific storm system with multiple fronts will move across
Announcements
Wasatch Powderbird Guides did not fly yesterday, and will not be flying today
due to high winds. For more information,
call them at 801-742-2800.
Solitude’s beacon park is now up and running, and ready for use. It’s FREE and located just off the northwest
corner of the lower lot.
For an avalanche education class list,
updated 12/22/07, click HERE.
If you want to get this avalanche advisory e-mailed to you daily click HERE.
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 you’re 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 UAC depends on
contributions from users like you to support our work. To find out more
about how you can support our efforts to continue providing the avalanche
forecasting and education that you expect, please visit http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/fuac-welcome.htm
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.