Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Through a generous donation by Backcountry.com to our partners the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center we will continue forecasting until April 24th. I will issur a combination of early morning weekend forecasts and mid week afternoon updates, with weekend only updates for the Logan and Uintas area mountains. Thank You!!

BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

There is a MODERATE (Level 2) danger of wet sluffs on steep slopes as they heat up in the sun today. You may find them on all aspects and elevations. Stay off of and out from underneath steep slopes when they get soggy today. There is also a MODERATE (Level 2) danger of lingering wind slabs along high elevation ridges and peaks.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

A foot of nice powder got manky in a hurry yesterday when the sun came out in the afternoon. Expect crusty conditions on all but the high north. It's a chilly 15 degrees this morning but expect it to warm fast.

RECENT ACTIVITY

There were a number of both intentional and unintentional human triggered soft slabs in the backcountry yesterday. Most were a foot or less deep and quite soft. See my video from Little Cottonwood Canyon and other observations. One person was caught, pushed into a tree and partly buried on Kessler Peak.

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THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 8 hours.

The main problem today will be the new snow heating up in the strong spring sun. This should create some widespread areas of damp and wet sluffs on the steep, sun exposed slopes. With high clouds this afternoon, this could also greenhouse onto the shaded slopes as well. Even though the mush will likely ride nicely if you are on a wide vehicle such as a snowboard, wide skis or a snowmobile, you should avoid the steep slopes when they get wet. The slides should be soft, and relatively shallow but they could easily take you over a cliff or into a terrain trap such as trees or a gully.

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

I think the lion's share of the wind slabs from yesterday will be settled out by today, you may still be able to find some lingering slabs along the high ridges and peaks, especially above 10,000'.

THREAT #3
No problem identified.
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
No probability identified.
No size identified.
No trend identified.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Today should be mostly sunny with some high clouds arriving by mid day. Winds should remain light. Ridge top temperatures should be in the mid 30's with 8,000' temperatures in the mid 40's. We should have variable high and mid level clouds through the weekend with another smaller snow storm on Sunday night.

Weather should remain unsettled for the next week or more.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

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)

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.