Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center will be teaching several introductory avalanche classes this winter called Backcountry 101. The first is coming up – an evening lecture on Thursday, Dec 16th, followed by a field day Saturday, December 18th. Sign-ups are at the Black Diamond retail store. Check our Education Page.

Announcing an online auction for a pair of Black Diamond Drift skis with custom Avy Center graphics. Your choice of 176 or 186 cm. Go to ebay and search for item 320624812251. These were custom built for the FUAC & all proceeds go to forecasting & education in Utah!


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 Level 1 (LOW). Unless you are getting into extreme terrain, the chances of getting injured in an avalanche today are slim but LOW danger doesn’t mean no danger so don’t let your guard down.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Temperatures are hovering around freezing and southwest winds are light. Surprisingly, out of the wind and sun effected terrain there is pleasurable riding conditions.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

A mostly Level 1 (LOW) avalanche danger often will coax folks into the more obscure and extreme terrain. Keep in mind that this terrain is the most likely place to find trouble today. If you poke around long and hard enough you probably can find a wind drift along an upper elevation ridge that may crack out.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

A pacific trof is feeding some moisture into our area in a southwest flow. This will amount to cloudy skies with possible snow showers today. Accumulation will be minimal. Temperatures will remain fairly warm and southwest winds should increase from light to moderate. Sunday is somewhat similar with a little less moisture. The Pacific system then attempts to kick through a bit more of a disturbance on Monday still in a southwest flow. This may actually add up to a few inches of snow but probably less then a 6 inch event.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry - especially if you are adjacent to a ski area – please call the following agencies 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.

Salt Lake – Alta Central (801-742-2033)

Ogden – Snowbasin Patrol Dispatch (801-620-1017)

Provo – Sundance Patrol Dispatch (801-223-4150)

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.

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

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

You can participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting 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.