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 as conditions warrant.


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 is mostly LOW but we are expecting localized areas of wind drifts from what little snow is expected for today, where the danger will be MODERATE. As usual, avoid any steep slope with recent wind drifts, which will look smooth, rounded, white and chalky. If we get more snow or wind than forecast today you can bump the overall danger rating up to MODERATE.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

We looked at snow numbers yesterday from the Alta Guard Station and found that this season has even less snow for this time of year than the previous record low snow season of 1976-77. We have a measly 283 inches so far and if we get less than 30 inches between now and the end of April, we will officially break the over-60-year record for the least amount of snow in a season. Wow! So if this seems like a horrible winter it's because it IS.

Yesterday it seemed like winter had been cancelled due to lack of interest. I saw not even one car in any of the usual backcountry parking areas in Big Cottonwood Canyon including the usually-overflowing Spruces lot. There is almost no snow on south facing slopes up to about 9,000'. I saw more snow on those slopes last year in July.

The remaining snow should be frozen solid this morning as temperatures began to plummet around midnight and they should bottom out today in the mid teens.

Here's a photo of the fabulous riding conditions from a south facing slope along the Park City ridgeline at 9,500'.


RECENT ACTIVITY

There was no reported activity from yesterday.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 8 hours.

We're expecting 2-5 inches of new snow today. You may find sluffing of the new snow on the steep, frozen crusts. More importantly, there may be pockets of wind drifts especially along the upper elevation ridges. As usual, avoid any steep slope with recent wind drifts. If we get more than our forecasted snow or wind amounts today then you can bump the overall danger up to Moderate.

They will be easy to recognize and manage. The old snow surface is dusty and darker while the new snow will be white and chalky. Wind drifts look smooth and rounded.

Note: grey in the danger rose means bare ground.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Yesterday, the wet activity was well-behaved because of the wind and cloud cover and today's cold temperatures should lock everything up. Temperatures are forecast to rebound again after the weekend so we may be back to worrying about wet activity.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

With a grim winter like this, we have come to expect wimpy storms and today should be no exception. It looks like the mountains will get 2-5 inches of snow this morning before it breaks up by afternoon. Temperatures have dropped into the mid teens and the low teens along the upper elevation ridges. Ridge top wind should blow today 15-20 mph and switch to the northwest.

We should bounce back to sunny skies and warming temperatures on Saturday and return to warm temperatures for the next few days until we get another weak disturbance on about 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.