Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Drew Hardesty

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

We've got a couple of FREE avalanche education events coming up:

A Free Avalanche Awareness talk tonight at 9 pm at Milosport- 359 E University Pkwy, Orem, Utah 84058

A Free Women's Avalanche Beacon clinic, Dec 5th, 8:30-11:00 am, at the Albion Grill, Alta.

Click on Education in the main menu for a complete listing of avalanche classes and talks.


BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

While the danger rose says MODERATE, it’s really a function of Low probability of triggering an avalanche that has Considerable consequences. There remain isolated areas – steep northeast through northwest facing slopes above roughly 9500’ - where one might trigger an avalanche 1-2’ deep into the older October/early November faceted snow. Consequences of getting caught and carried, raked through stumps, rocks, and trees are grim.

I expect the danger to rise overnight and tomorrow with the advancing winds and resulting wind slabs. Don’t be caught off guard by new drifts in unusual places – easterly winds will have some unusual loading patterns.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

The next storm’s on the doorstep. We’ll see increasing clouds and snow but it’ll be the easterly winds tonight and tomorrow that’ll take your breath away. Already the ridgetop anemometers have ramped to 25mph with gusts to 35 from the southwest. Temps are warm – in the upper 20s and low 30s up high, but they should soon come crashing down to the mid-teens. Riding and touring conditions in the backcountry are fair, but by tomorrow I imagine even the most protected stashes of recycled powder suffer wind damage. Hold on to your hat.


RECENT ACTIVITY

We’ve had no reports of any significant cracking, collapsing or avalanche activity since Friday.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Snow structure remains poor and snow stability tests continue to produce evidence that the old October/November rotten snow 1-2’ down may still activate with human triggering in isolated terrain. Complicating matters is the weak snow developing at or just beneath the snow surface. If and when it snows – perhaps Wednesday night’s winds may suffice (more below), I’ll expect avalanches on both interfaces. It won’t be pretty.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

The storm moves overhead later in the day. Temps will drop to the upper teens and 10,000’ and we’re likely to see as much as a couple inches here in northern Utah. The winds will veer to the northwest, north, and then east and crank into the 45-55mph range with gusts to 75+. It’s the easterly winds tonight and tomorrow that will be the punisher. Friday will be an in-between day with yet another, similar storm dropping down from the north. Looks to be a carbon copy of tonight’s, though with slightly less severe wind.


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.