Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

AVALANCHE WATCH »

The risk of an avalanche is expected to increase significantly but the timing and location are still uncertain. Stay tuned for updates.
Notice:

An Avalanche Watch has been issued for the Central Wasatch and Logan area mountains.  Widespread human triggered shallow slab avalanches as well as scattered natural avalanches that were active on Saturday may be again active today.  In addition, around 3.5” of water weight in the recent snow and more expected over the next 36 hours may be enough to overload deeply buried weak layers especially in areas with a thinner snowpack.  Expert level avalanche assessment and route finding skills are essential to travel in the backcountry today.


SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Little Cottonwood Canyon will be closed this morning for avalanche control work and will reopen by around 8:30am.


BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

I’m going with a strait CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger today.  This includes new snow avalanching, the potential for deeper and more dangerous avalanches as well as a mention to watch for wet related activity at the lower elevations.  Expert level avalanche assessment and route finding skills are essential today.  Always follow protocol by having only one person exposed to avalanche terrain at a time and clear the run out zones.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Temperatures have cooled slightly and are in the low to mid 20s.  Southwesterly winds have really slowed down only averaging around 5 to 10 mph along the ridges.  Another 6” of 10% density snow fell in the Cottonwoods and Provo area mountains overnight with the Ogden mountains not receiving quite as much.  3 to 3 ½ inches of water has been added to the snowpack since Thursday.  The rain snow line hovered in the 7000 to 8000 foot range for most of Saturday.


RECENT ACTIVITY

Widespread human triggered soft slab avalanches were reported from Saturday.  A few were remotely triggered.  They involved the newest of the new snow and seemed to revolve around a density inversion from Friday’s relatively lighter density snow.  There were a handful of natural avalanches reported as well.  Most of these avalanches were fairly shallow and manageable for experienced backcountry travelers.  They were 4 to 12 inches deep and ranged from 10 to 200 feet wide.  One natural avalanche that’s worth noting was near Snowbasin that produced a large enough debris pile to suspect it broke into older weak snow.  There were also numerous wet avalanches at the lower elevations with some of them piling up fairly good sized debris piles.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The first thing we’re going to look out for today is new snow avalanching.  Things may not be quite as sensitive today as yesterday but you can’t rule that out until you start feeling the snow.  Slopes cuts will be a useful tool and quick handpits should reveal this upper level weakness fairly well also.  Keep in mind that with the additional snow overnight, these new snow avalanches could start to get fairly deep.  You’ll most likely find these on a variety of aspects above around 8500 feet.  Also, keep in mind that this activity can spike rapidly during high snowfall rates and natural avalanches wouldn’t be out of the question today.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Next we need to keep in mind our deeper weakness from early in the season.  3 ½ inches of water and possibly 2 more inches expected is enough to get our attention when it comes to these deeper instabilities.  Areas that have a deep snowpack of around 5 or 6 feet may stay in place with the problem areas being more pronounced in the shallower snowpack areas.  This includes many areas outside of the Cottonwood Canyons as well as avalanche paths that have already slid within the Cottonwoods.  A northerly component is most likely needed for these and they’ll be in the mid to upper elevations.


THREAT #3

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

While the rain snow line will be lower today, chances for wet snow activity at the lower elevations is still worth a mention.  The snowpack became very wet and unconsolidated over the last few days.  If you are in lower elevations keep in mind there may be weak wet snow under a few inches of new snow.  Continue to avoid terrain traps and avalanche run out zones.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Utah will remain under a moist, southwesterly flow through today with periods of snow this morning with lighter and scattered snowfall mid day.  6 to 10 inches is possible.  Temperatures will be in the 20s and the snow level will start in the 6000 foot range and gradually drop as the day progresses.  Things will again pick up late this afternoon into tonight and the flow shifts northwest.  Another 2” of total water weight is possible by the time it’s done.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 WPG did not get out yesterday, and will not get out today.  Operations planning page is here.

The last of the Brighton Discount tickets have been reduced to $45, with all proceeds going to the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center.  Click HERE for details.

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center is hosting a Level 2 avalanche class in February which is now open for registration by going to the Black Diamond retail store.  More information is HERE.  

Tickets are now available for the annual Backcountry Awareness Dinner on February 13th, with registration through the Snowbird Renaissance Center.

Beacon training parks are up and running!  There is one at Snowbasin, one on the Park City side at the top of Canyon’s gondola, one in Little Cottonwood near the Snowbird parking structure on the bypass road, and in Big Cottonwood a training  park is at the west end of Solitude's lower parking lot.

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

For a text only version, the link is on the left side bar, near the top.

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.

Your snow and avalanche observations help everyone in the backcountry community.  Please let us know what you're seeing by leaving 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.  This advisory does not apply to ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally conducted.

Bruce Tremper will update this advisory by 7:30 tomorrow morning.


This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done.  This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.


This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.