Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Drew Hardesty

AVALANCHE WARNING »

Dangerous avalanche conditions are occuring or are imminent. Backcountry travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.
Notice:

THE AVALANCHE WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH THE WEEKEND FOR ALL THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN UTAH. THIS INCLUDES THE BEAR RIVER RANGE, THE WESTERN UINTAS AND THE WASATCH PLATEAU. HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS HAVE EASILY OVERLOADED A WEAK AND FRAGILE PRE-EXISTING SNOWPACK RESULTING IN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AVALANCHE CONDITIONS. BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED.


BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

We have a HIGH danger bordering on EXTREME. Very dangerous avalanche conditions exist with natural avalanches likely and human triggered avalanches certain. Those without expert level experience should avoid "sidecountry" and backcountry terrain altogether. Remember that the avalanche doesn't know you're an expert.

Stay safe and enjoy the powder at one of our world class ski resorts.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

It's still snowing.... Here are the (snow/water) numbers (Sat/Sun and since Wednesday eve)

Little Cottonwood 24"/2.39" and 42"/5.13"

Big Cottonwood 29"/3.35" and 46"/5.23"

Park City mountains 15"/1.8" and 22"/2.8"

Ogden area mountains 22"/2.46" and 44"/5.74"

Provo area mountains 19"/1.93" and 33"/3.33"\

Winds remain strong out of the west/northwest and are blowing 30mph with gusts to 50. The 11,000' winds are 50mph gusting to 75. Even the mid-elevations are gusty with numerous reports of significant gusts in the canyons. Temps have plummeted to the upper single digits up high, the mid-teens elsewhere. One 20 year patrolman remarked it was the most impressive snow events he'd ever seen.


RECENT ACTIVITY

Another long time backcountry skier commented it was "probably the diciest day I've experienced in many years - lots of cracking, collapsing, (branches & trees shaking from collapses in meadows), avalanches....."

The Provo area mountains went through their first cycle yesterday roughly midday yesterday (see Nalli's debris photo below from the NE chute of Elk Point - roughly 3500'+ runout). The Cottonwoods went through a significant avalanche cycle during and just after frontal passage yesterday in the early evening. Long running slides crossed Little Cottonwood Canyon and most ski areas saw significant results.

In the backcountry, many more remotely triggered slides shook the landscape. These were from 8400' to 9600' on northwest to northeast facing slopes 1-3' deep and up to 1/4 mile wide (above Desolation). These were in semi-unusual places but indicative of where people were 'hiding' yesterday - Beartrap, Porter Fork, Deso, Summit Park and one slope remoted that ran 50' nearly across the Mill D North hiking trail. Of great importance - many had lower than usual slope angles and running in areas people typically deem fairly safe. See Todd Glew's photo from Mill D below.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Conditions are extremely dangerous. These soft and hard slabs will still be triggered at a distance, even pulling out in steeper terrain above. What's it look like? See Craig Patterson's quick video from yesterday. They will also have a tendency to continue pulling out into lower angled terrain - even up onto the top of ridgelines or above gullies. Ski and slope cuts are dangerous at best.

Don't fool yourself that you can manage these conditions. Rethink even your typically safe terrain.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Wind drifts will still be sensitive and break at any number of interfaces in the storm snow. Any of these are likely to step 2-3' down into the older snow. The winds are still - now - drifting snow even at the mid and low elevations......


THREAT #3

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
No trend identified.

Cornices will be extremely dangerous and are likely to break way back beyond the edge. It's likely that if you go over with the cornice you'll also trigger a deeper slab below.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

The snowfall and winds should start to taper off by mid-morning and we may have a bit of a break before the evening. Temps will be in the low teens. The winds will be 25-30mph from the west. The next Pacific storm dives south tomorrow and we should see some clouds and maybe a few flurries. A ridge of high pressure to the west looks like it'll push storms to the north of us through the week.


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 UDOTat (801) 975-4838

Wasatch Powderbird Guides are suspending the opening of helicopter skiing operations. Once we have enough snow cover, daily updates to this blog http://powderbird.blogspot.com/ will begin for the 2011-2012 season.

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.

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.