Salt Lake Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

This will be our last week of morning forecasts. After Easter Sunday, we will do intermittent afternoon updates until near the end of April or conditions become very benign, whichever comes first.


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 today is mostly LOW but you will find areas of MODERATE danger on any steep slope with recent wind drifts or any steep slope that is getting wet from the heat of the sun.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

The April Fool’s Day storm is well named. Most places in the Wasatch Range got fooled--receiving either no snow or perhaps an inch, and that came overnight instead of yesterday. As usual, the Cottonwood Canyons were the only places with more than a dusting where the storm piled up 3-4 inches in upper Big Cottonwood and 4-7 inches in upper Little Cottonwood.

Most places are dust-on-crust with the crust being very stout--several inches thick--when the pre-existing, gloppy snow froze solid with the arrival of the cold front on Sunday morning. Riding conditions are not too bad on very gentle slopes but on the steep slopes you are chattering on the old crust and bouncing off various forms of frozen drool from the extremely warm temperatures all week.


RECENT ACTIVITY

No avalanche activity from yesterday.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Taking a slide-for-life on the stout crusts is probably the largest hazard today unless you are in the upper Cottonwood Canyons where there is enough new snow to give you a better grip.

Avalanche-wise, the only show in town will likely be localized wind drifts of the new snow, which will be mostly soft and shallow. They will be easy to recognize and manage. As usual, avoid steep slopes with recent wind drifts, which you will find mostly along the upper elevation ridges.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 10 hours.

I think temperatures will remain fairly cool today, but the spring sun is strong, so it may cause some damp and wet sluffs on the steep, southerly-facing slopes. These will be mostly shallow but they could take you over a cliff or into a terrain trap. As usual, avoid steep, sun exposed slopes when they start to get wet in the heat of the sun.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

A few clouds coming out of the north this morning should clear out and it should be a mostly sunny day. Temperatures are in the mid teens this morning but should warm up to near freezing. The ridge top wind should blow 15 mph from the north. We have mostly clear skies and warming temperatures for the next several days but we should get stronger winds and perhaps a snowflake or two from a passing, nearby storm on Wednesday and Thursday.


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 and Park City – 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.

Twitter Updates for your mobile phone http://utahavalanchecenter.org/twitter)

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

Wasatch Powderbird Guides does daily updates about where they'll be operating on this blog http://powderbird.blogspot.com/.

Remember your information can save lives.If you see anything we should know about, please 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.