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,
March 15, 2008 7:30 am
Good morning, this is
Current Conditions:
Under partly cloudy
skies, temperatures are in single digits to midteens this morning. The west to southwesterly winds are in the 10
to 15 mph range, with gusts to 25.
Speeds across the highest peaks are averaging 20 mph, with gusts to 35. Storm totals are about 7 or less in the
Snow and Avalanche Discussion:
Yesterday was a very
active day, with widespread sluffing
of the new snow on steep slopes of
all aspects, both natural and easily triggered.
Many of these were large enough to catch and carry a person, some
running hundreds of feet. Southeast
facing slopes were particularly active, with easily triggered slides 30 to 60
wide running on the crusts, both above Alta and in Dutch Draw, where a person
was caught and took a 100 ride.
Then there were a few
larger more serious avalanches triggered.
In Georges Bowl, Cardiff Fork, one
skier took a 100 ride at 9,000', and another slide was triggered
remotely from along the ridgeline, 150 feet wide by 18" deep, running
about 1000 and pulling out another small pocket. Along the
Today will be
tricky. On many steep slopes, the only
activity will be human triggered new snow sluffs and shallow soft slabs, easily
managed with ski cuts and cornice drops.
However, here and there, people could be surprised with a deeper slide
failing on the weak, sugary old snow surface.
These slides will be up to 2 feet deep, a couple of hundred feet wide,
and could break out above you or be triggered from a distance. They will take you for a ride, potentially
long, and could bury you. This weak
layer is spotty, which makes the problem even trickier for the backcountry
user. There will be a rising danger this afternoon if the forecast of periods
of heavy snowfall verify, especially with any increase in wind.
This morning, any
periods of direct sun or thin clouds will make the snow on steep southeast and
south facing sunny slopes more sensitive, with damp sluffs or slabs possible. Mid and low elevation shady slopes may get in
on the damp snow action, too, if thin high clouds are over the area for a
while.
Bottom Line for the
All steep mid and
upper elevation slopes have at least a MODERATE danger
today, with human triggered sluffs and soft slabs possible, some far running
and with enough punch to catch and carry a person. There are pockets of CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger on
steep northwest through easterly facing slopes this morning, where in isolated
places avalanches up to 2 feet deep can be triggered, both on the slope and
from a distance. This danger will become
more widespread this afternoon, with additional snowfall and wind in the
forecast.
Practice safe travel
procedures today, of only one person on a steep slope at a time both ascending
and descending, and get out of the way at the bottom. With lots of people in the backcountry, if
you are kicking cornices or ski cutting make sure there is no one below you
any slide triggered may run further than expected, or could triggering a second
slide to the side.
Mountain Weather:
Another Pacific storm
system is approaching, with the cold front forecast to reach the northern
mountains mid afternoon. Increasing
clouds this morning, with scattered snow showers developing. Once the cold front arrives this afternoon,
periods of heavy snowfall are possible, with 3 to 5 expected this afternoon,
and another 6 to 10 possible tonight.
Temperatures today will be near freezing at 8,000 and in the mid teens
at 10,000. The southwesterly winds will
be in the 10 to 20 mph range, with gusts to 30, and gusts to 40 across the most
exposed terrain. More snow is possible
on Sunday, accompanied by moderate to strong northwesterly winds.
Announcements
The Black Diamond Wasatch POWDERkeg race, being run this morning in Grizzly
Gulch near Alta, so the area will be congested until about noon.
The Wasatch Powderbird Guides did
not fly Friday due to weather, but will try to get out for a while this
morning. They will have one ship in
If you want to
get this avalanche advisory e-mailed to you daily click HERE.
UDOT highway avalanche control work info can be
found by calling (801) 975-4838.
Our statewide tollfree line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, option 8).
Watch video tututorials and fieldwork from UAC staff at our YouTube
channel.
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 our Friends page.
If you see any avalanches or interesting snow conditions, 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.