Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

A Considerable avalanche danger continues on mid elevation slopes that face northwest, north, northeast and east, with pockets of Considerable danger on other aspects and elevations as well as on any slope with recent wind deposits. This means you should stay on slopes of 30 degrees or less on slopes with Considerable danger.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

With cloudy skies this morning, the ridge top winds have picked up and are blowing from the south and southeast 20-30 mph with higher gusts. Temperatures have risen to near freezing with 20 degrees on the highest peaks. Most of the sun exposed slopes got cooked yesterday, but there is still some nice powder on the shady aspects.


RECENT ACTIVITY

As forecast, yesterday was an extremely wild day. I think it set a record for the number of human triggered avalanches reported to us in one day. Here is the list:

21 significant, human triggered avalanches in the backcountry

9 unintentionally triggered

7 people caught

4 partial burials including one with just his hand sticking out

These avalanches occurred throughout northern Utah, primarily in the Salt Lake area mountains. These are all posted in our astoundingly popular Current Conditions along with some spectacular photos. Here’s a short list of the highlights: Radar Love Bowl (hand sticking out), Soldier Fork (huge avalanche triggered from the ridge), Timpanogos (cool photo series of someone triggering an avalanche), Pioneer Ridge (partial burial), Mineral Fork and Mill Hollow (partial burial of snowmobiler), Monte Cristo (snowmobiler)

This brings our record-shattering season total SO FAR this season to:

261 unintentional, human triggered avalanches in the backcountry

59 caught

23 partial burials

5 total burials

11 injured

3 killed

In addition, yesterday, backcountry explosive testing by WPG pulled out a slab on surface hoar in mid Mineral Fork, which stepped down to a full depth avalanche as it went over a cliff and produced a full-track, large avalanche.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The buried layer of surface hoar continues to surprise people with avalanches about 2 feet deep and they have become much more dangerous in the past few days. These are very common at mid elevations, such as in Big Cottonwood, Mill Creek and the Park City ridgeline.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The strong winds from the south and southeast today should create some sensitive wind slabs along the upper elevation ridges and occasionally in lower terrain. As always, avoid any steep slope with recent deposits of wind drifted snow.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

We should have partly to mostly cloudy skies today with moderate to strong winds from the south and southeast of 20-30 mph. Temperatures should be warm, just above freezing in most locations, with overnight lows in the mid 20’s. We’re expecting a few, light snow showers today with no significant accumulation with a few more tonight. As usual, the main energy of the storm is going through southern Utah.

The extended forecast calls for clear weather through most of the week with another cold front by about next Friday.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please contact Alta Central (801-742-2033) if you trigger a large avalanche in the backcountry, especially if you are adjacent to a ski area, to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Discount Lift tickets: Ski Utah, Backcountry.com, Alta, Deer Valley, Park City, The Canyons, Wolf Mountain, Snowbasin, Beaver Mountain, Brighton, Sundance, and Solitude have donated a limited number of tickets for sale at discounted prices.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides flight plan.

Dawn Patrol Forecast Hotline, updated by 05:30:888-999-4019 option 8.

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

Free UAC iPhone app from Canyon Sports.

Subscribe to the daily avalanche advisory e-mail click HERE.

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

We appreciate all your avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email to uac@utahavalanchecenter.org

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.

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 forecast tomorrow morning. Thanks for calling.


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.