The avalanche danger will be increasing today. We start out with a MODERATE danger for human triggered wind slabs in the mid and upper elevation slopes of about 35 degrees in steepness or more. The danger will be on the rise as the new snow piles up especially during any period of heavy snowfall. Windy conditions will enhance slab formation and add to the danger as well. Natural avalanches could occur and the avalanche danger may reach CONSIDERABLE or potentially HIGH with enough snow and wind. Avoid all avalanche runnout zones during these periods.

Big changes in the weather overnight and expected today. First off, the winds switched to the southwest and have ramped up into the 50 and 60 mph range at many locations at the 10,000 foot level. Even the most under rated Tom’s Hill wind site has gusts to near 40 mph telling me things are getting stirred up in the mid elevations as well. The warmest free air temperatures moved in overnight resulting in minimal cooling. In fact, after some initial cooling early Saturday evening, most stations recorded an increase in temperature overnight with readings around 40 at 7000 feet, above freezing at 9000 and in the upper 20s at the higher locations.

Avalanche activity on Saturday was about what was expected with a few human triggered wind slabs and some wet activity as well. One wind slab triggered in the Y Couloir did run the majority of that path. Other human triggered wind slabs were fairly harmless. Natural wet activity never reached an alarming rate on Saturday but there was a fair amount at the mid and lower elevations with a few debris piles reported up to 5 feet deep. (Field Day: Drew Hardesty)

We’ve probably already seen the high temps for the day and things should continue to cool through the day into the 20s. Winds will shift to the northwest with the frontal passage and remain somewhat gusty with strong gusts along the ridgetops. About a foot of snow is expected and post frontal snowfall in a northwest flow should linger into tonight. Areas favored by northwest flow could see up to 2 feet which means another decent looking storm for the Cottonwoods.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides didn’t get out on Saturday and won’t be out today. Check 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.

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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).

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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.

Evelyn Lees will update this advisory by 7:30 tomorrow morning.