Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The North American Avalanche Danger Scale is being revised for next winter. Our friends in Canada have created a short survey found at the following link. Please help ensure the new Avalanche Danger Scale is effective by completing a survey. http://surveys.globalepanel.com/wix/p319164581.aspx

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 generally LOW this morning. The danger for wet avalanche activity may rise a bit as the day progresses. Keep an eye out for rollerballs and small wet loose slides which indicate the snow is starting to become unstable. Avoid terrain traps especially at the lower elevations.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Westerly winds again increased overnight and are gusting in the 30 to 40 mph range along the higher ridges. Mid elevations are seeing speeds averaging 10 to 15 mph gusting into the 20s. Temperatures are a bit warmer this morning hovering around 30 at 9500 feet and in the mid 30s at lower elevations.

RECENT ACTIVITY

No significant avalanche activity was reported from the backcountry on Sunday aside from a few minor rollerballs.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 8 hours.

While the avalanche danger is generally LOW, we always say LOW danger doesn’t mean NO danger. Warm daytime temperatures in the spring always dictate that we pay attention to the snowpack as it becomes damp and may produce some wet avalanche activity. Temperatures are relatively warm at the lower elevations which may enhance the chance for some wet activity on all aspects. The other spot you may find a pocket to pull out if you really try hard would be along the upper elevation ridges where a fresh drift may have formed over the last 24 hours.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We’ll have scattered clouds today with slightly warmer temperatures getting into the upper 40s at 8000 feet and mid to upper 30s along the ridges. Winds will be a bit gusty and continue to average 10 to 15 mph gusting into the 20s along the mid elevation ridges with gusts in the 30s and 40s along the highest terrain.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Wasatch Powderbird Guides flew in the Sessions and Cascade on Sunday and probably won’t get out due to wind today. Their operations planning page is here.

Our web site is now formatted for iPhone. You can also download a free iPhone application from Canyon Sports to display the Bottom Line. Search for Utah Avalanche on the Apple's iPhone Apps page or in iTunes.

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).

Donate to your favorite non-profit – The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. 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.

Drew “Hardslab” Hardesty 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.