Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

We will be issuing intermittent avalanche advisories for the rest of the season as conditions change.We will likely issue advisories each afternoon this week to keep you up to date on the expected snowstorm and then they will become more intermittent as conditions stabilize.

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 will quickly rise with wind and new snow. Since the avalanche danger will depend on the weather, you will need to make evidence-based decisions as conditions develop. My best guess is that on Tuesday you will see the danger quickly rise from LOW to MODERATE by afternoon on slopes with recent wind deposits and we may have pockets of CONSIDERABLE danger if we get more snow than we expect on Tuesday.

The danger may rise to HIGH on Wednesday so stay tuned.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Monday was that in between time that occurs all too quickly in spring when the sun has ruined the powder and it hasn’t yet cooked it down enough to form corn. The snow surface was mostly breakable crust on all but the south facing slopes and some of the lower elevation slopes where the sun and heat have been strong enough to melt the snow surface, which refroze into a supportable crust overnight. Monday's high temperature was in the mid 50’s at 8,000’ and just above freezing on the ridge tops.

RECENT ACTIVITY

We haven’t heard about any significant avalanche activity today with the exception of some localized, wet sluffs on the steep, south facing slopes as they heated up in the sun.

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

Yes, that’s right, we have yet another storm on the way with yet another two or three feet of snow expected for storm snow. We should have strong wind on Tuesday and more snow on Wednesday and Thursday. That means that we will have the usual round of storm-snow avalanches. First, and most importantly, strong wind Tuesday will almost certainly make dangerous wind slabs on any downwind terrain. The wind will blow mostly from the south, so you can expect wind slabs on north facing slopes near ridges but they will likely be cross loaded into other terrain as well. Second, after the snow begins to fall in ernest on Wednesday, even if you are out of the wind, watch for weak layers that may develop within the new snow such as graupel or low density layers. Third, watch for times of high precipitation intensity, which can instantly create natural, and human-triggered, avalanches within the new snow. Be sure to check the snow carefully as you travel by jumping on small, test slopes and digging down with your hand to see how well the snow is bonded.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Southwest ridge top winds should pick up overnight and snow should begin on Tuesday morning with perhaps 4 inches during the day. Ridge top winds will blow 30-40 with gusts to 60 and ridge top temperatures will start out near freezing. The cold front should arrive some time on Wednesday and drop ridge top temperatures to the mid teens. Snow levels will start out around 10,000 to 11,000 feet and drop to 8,500 feet on Wednesday. Snow should continue into Thursday. Be sure to monitor the National Weather Service web site to follow the storm’s progress (use the links on our Weather page).

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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.

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.

We will update this advisory on Tuesday.

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.