Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Drew Hardesty

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Canyons Snow Safety will be conducting operations in McDonald Draw this morning. Please avoid this terrain along the Park City ridgeline until they’re finished.

BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

While natural avalanches are not expected, we are on the upper end of a MODERATE danger for lingering storm snow and wind slab avalanches today. Human triggered slides are probable. Exercise caution in the steep upper elevation north to southeast facing terrain today. Cornices remain a significant concern for those travelling the ridgelines. Deep slab releases are unlikely, but potentially fatal upon release.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

March is going out like a lion. With the exception of the Provo mountains, most areas picked up another 4-7” with the passing of the front yesterday, pushing storm totals to 16-20” since Sunday morning. That’s nearly 3-5’ since the 20th. The winds rocked and rolled during the afternoon, blowing 30-40mph with gusts to 60. Now, skies are clear, winds are near calm, and temps are in the single digits. Should be another of those days – get it while you can – because April Fools brings a heat wave.


RECENT ACTIVITY

Very heavy snowfall rates and strong westerly wind led to at least two rounds of storm snow natural cycles yesterday. While most hunkered in the more protected terrain, those walking the higher ridgelines reported widespread natural cornice fall and soft slab releases 1-3’ deep in the steep wind affected terrain.


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

The natural cycle is 12 hours old and most of the storm snow and wind slab activity will have settled out. Still, some concern must be given to the interface of graupel at the new/old snow interface and lingering wind slabs sitting on lower density snow below. For those with discipline and skill in terrain management, these will be manageable or avoidable hazards. Use slope cuts and test slopes to make initial assessments in forgiving terrain. Start on gentler slopes with numerous options and no terrain traps before riding into the more radical terrain. Sluffing will also be likely on the steepest slopes and will be problematic in confined terrain with few places to hide.


THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Cornices are now being described by some by being as ‘large and pervasive as they come’. These monsters are too large to trifle with – with some easily breaking 10’ or more back from the edge. They will easily calve off on approach and be enough of a trigger to release both new and deep slab avalanches below. Going over the edge with the boxcar may result in serious traumatic injury even without triggering a slide.


THREAT #3
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Isolated Deep Slab Avalanches have ripped out with every loading event. I imagine that today’s good visibility will reveal some deeper releases from the past couple of days. Potential triggers today include cornice fall, another new snow avalanche stepping down, or multiple snowmachines on the slope at a time. Consequences remain severe.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Sunny skies will give way to increasing clouds with a weak storm passing by to the north. Temps will rise to near 20 at 10,000’ and near 30 at 8000’. Winds will be 10-15mph from the west, increasing to 15-20mph by tonight. This mid-week storm should bring some light rain to the valleys and snow to the mountains, particularly in areas north of I-80. The Logan mountains may see 4-8” by late Wednesday. Partly cloudy skies follow for the end of the week with temps skyrocketing to the low to mid 40s at 10,000’ by Friday. Wet avalanche hazard will certainly be on the rise by then.

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.