Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Drew Hardesty

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Bruce will be giving a free Avalanche Awareness talk at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) tonight at 7pm. The JCC is just north of the University Hospital.

BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

The avalanche danger is mostly LOW this morning. Very isolated pockets of hard wind slab dot the upper elevation landscape, primarily on the northerly aspects. The wet avalanche potential will rise to MODERATE with daytime warming on all but the highest northerly facing aspects. Glide avalanches are likely to release through the next couple of days, even, perhaps, after the cold front.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

A few years ago I wrote “the conditions are something that only the great Russian novelists could love”…or… “something that only a mother could love”..I don’t remember. ..In any event, comments from the field yesterday include

· “East through west icy. North facing was settled and skier abused windboardy pow. YUCK!”

· Snow surface was about as bad as it gets on anything but direct N & some NW aspects”

All things being equal, freezing levels are at the 9500’ level, skies are overcast, and the winds, well, the winds are punishing. The southwesterlies are blowing 35-50mph with gusts to 80. It’s just not right if I have to recommend doing your taxes two weeks in a row.

RECENT ACTIVITY

None reported from yesterday, except for in the Logan mountains. Our forecaster Toby Weed triggered some wet rollerballs as big as a truck. Full size American extra cab duelie, not some import.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

On the other side of the coin, the northerly aspects are becoming increasingly saturated along higher elevations. No digging or data pits needed: just watch how the snow is reacting to your skis or ride and move smartly through the terrain.

I’d also start anticipating glide releases in the usual spots in Stairs Gulch, Mill B South, and Broads Fork of Big Cottonwood canyon. Avoid lagging in these runout zones there in the valley bottoms.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Those traveling into the high northerly aspects should look for smooth, chalky deposits of hard wind slab deposited by the unrelenting winds. Although thin and not very wide, they may cause problems if the terrain below is unforgiving. Here are some considerations:

· How well are these hard slabs supported in the terrain?

· Do they sit in a concave pocket with support at the bottom?

· How well is the hard slab anchored by trees?

· Is it a relatively large (less supported) or small (more supported) slab of snow?

· Trigger points may be on the edges of the lens, rather than right smack in the middle of the pillow and may not release on the first, second, or third skier or rider.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Same as it ever was. Warm and windy. Overcast. And we may see a touch of rain in this moist southwest flow. A cold front Wednesday night will relax the winds and finally drop temps down the teens. Snowfall numbers look sub-advisory at this time, but check our noon mountain weather forecast for the update. A second wave arrives late Friday with the potential for more snow.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our web page is now mobile-friendly for users of iPhone and iPod Touch.

Yesterday, Wasatch Powderbird Guides skied in Cardiff, Days, Mineral, Grizzly and Cascade and most likely won’t fly today due to weather. Their operations planning page is here.

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 toward the Tombstone lift, 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 visitour Friends page.

Your snow and avalanche observations can save someone’s life. 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.

I 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.