Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Brett Kobernik

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 Level 2 (MODERATE) along the upper elevation steep northeast through south aspects where recent drifts have formed. There is a pockety Level 2 (MODERATE) danger in the mid and upper elevations for triggering an avalanche that breaks through the rain crust into weak snow below it.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Overnight winds make the headlines today. They ramped up into the moderate to strong category for a period overnight and have decreased again but still remain from the northwest in the moderate category along the ridges. Ridgetop temperatures are in the mid teens to low 20s.


RECENT ACTIVITY

There was a snowmobile triggered avalanche in Snake Creek on Sunday. It was a couple of feet deep, 125 feet wide and ran about 300 vertical feet, no one was caught. (DETAILS) Collapsing of the rain crust continues to be reported from the backcountry. One class 3 avalanche was reported from Little Cottonwood ski area control work which broke through the rain crust with surface hoar as the weak layer.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The winds were transporting snow on Sunday but most folks found these fresh drifts to be not real sensitive. The bump in winds overnight would suggest this transport may have formed some deeper drifts. They probably will be stubborn again but approach them with caution. Slope cuts should be used where appropriate. If you’re thinking about getting into radical steep upper elevation terrain today, keep in mind this is the most likely spot to find trouble.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Continued reports of collapsing and perhaps the snowmobile triggered avalanche in Snake Creek tells us a poor snowpack structure still exists in some areas. While there is a chance that someone might find an area where you could trigger an avalanche that breaks through the rain crust, I feel that we are in more of a holding pattern where we need to continue to watch this crust/facet combo for upcoming weather events when it may become more of a threat. We’re not done with it yet. Continue to check the thickness of the crust looking for areas where it is thin with facts or surface hoar below it.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

A nice day is shaping up with mostly clear skies, slowing winds from the northwest and ridgetop temperatures getting into the mid 20s. We’ll have a bit of a disturbance that might add a few inches of snow on Tuesday with warmer temperatures later in the weak.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

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 have the opportunity to participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email by clicking HERE

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.