We're going to keep it simple today.  A SPECIAL AVALANCHE ADVISORY is in effect for the mountains of northern Utah.  In terrain above about 8000 feet that faces west through north through south east, natural avalanches are possible and human triggered avalanches are almost certain on numerous slopes. 

We feel that human triggered avalanches are almost certain on numerous slopes above about 8000 feet facing west through north through southeast.  The avalanche danger remains HIGH on many of these slopes.  Avalanche path runnout zones should be avoided today.  Only people with top notch avalanche and snowpack assessment skills should attempt travel into avalanche terrain today.

We have partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the single digits to around zero, decreasing westerly winds and no new snow overnight.

Ski resorts continued to get sizable avalanches during control work on Saturday.  Four more large avalanches were triggered by people in the backcountry.  Locations include Yellowjacket, Alexander Basin, West Monitor and one near Summit Park.  All the backcountry avalanches involved the weak faceted basal layers of snow that we keep beating like a dead horse.

More details:

Saturday's Avalanches

Photo from near Summit Park

Photo from Yellowjacket

Thoughts on creep rates

A brief warm up is the big news weather-wise today.  Temperatures will jump 20 degrees in some locations from the single digits into the mid 20s.  Westerly winds will be managable averaging 5 to 15 mph along the ridges switching more to the south and increasing tonight ahead of a storm that will move through tonight into Monday.   This next storm looks like it will pack a decent punch and produce around a foot of snow or better.  Weather models show periods of snow currently through the 28th.

If you want to get this avalanche advisory e-mailed to you daily click HERE.

The Wasatch Powderbird Guides - for information, call them at 801-742-2800 or go to their daily blog. 

UDOT highway avalanche control work info can be found by calling (801) 975-4838. Our statewide toll free line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, option 8).

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’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 uac@utahavalanchecenter.org. (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.

Bruce Tremper will update this forecast by 7:30 on Monday morning.