Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains | Issued by Brett Kobernik for December 9, 2012 - 6:53am |
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Above 9,500 ft.
8,000-9,500 ft.
Below 8,000 ft.
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bottom line There is a MODERATE avalanche danger today. Human triggered avalanches are possible and with all the people that will be out today I’d almost wager it’s likely we’ll hear about some. Natural avalanches are unlikely. The most likely spots to trigger a slab avalanche are on north through southeast facing slopes above around 9000 feet.
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special announcement Evelyn will lead a free womens beacon clinic coming up this Wednesday at Brighton. There are still a number of spots left. DETAILS |
current conditions The little storm that moved through yesterday left us with 7 to 11 inches of new snow containing around a half inch of water. Riding conditions are excellent! The northwest winds were a bit blustery in places and along the ridges drifting some snow, but, overall I’d say they were fairly well behaved with not a major amount of wind slab formation. Temperatures are in the single digits this morning. |
recent activity There were two avalanches that are noteworthy which occurred on Saturday. One was a natural loose snow avalanche that caught and carried two people who were below a steep chute on Mt Superior during the high snowfall rates. (DETAILS) Another avalanche was triggered in Days Fork from a ski cut which initially released a small fresh wind slab but as it ran through a chute, it popped out a 60 foot wide slab that broke deeper into older snow. (DETAILS) These avalanches demonstrate things that we need to be aware of for today. |
type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
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Above 9,500 ft.
8,000-9,500 ft.
Below 8,000 ft.
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description
Fresh wind drifts will be the main concern for today. This is mostly an upper elevation issue on the east side of the compass including northeast and southeast aspects. Slope cuts should be an efficient tool for testing and mitigation. Watch for additional loading during the day today. |
type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
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Above 9,500 ft.
8,000-9,500 ft.
Below 8,000 ft.
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description
There is the chance that, in the right spot, an avalanche could break into older faceted snow from November and around the more recent rime/rain crusts. The most likely spots would be sheltered northerly aspects above 9500’ where the November facets were not affected by recent winds prior to this storm. This issue will be quite pockety in nature but with all the triggers prowling around out there today, I won’t be surprised to hear about something releasing. Sluff management may be worth a mention still today. The cold dry low density snow may still be prone to sluffing if it’s provoked. Keep a look over your shoulder to see if loose snow is piling up behind you. All of these avalanche problems should be quite manageable for experienced backcountry travelers. |
weather We’ll have mostly cloudy skies and some snow flurries during the day that could add a few more inches of snow. Temperatures will remain cold only getting into the low teens. Northwest winds will be a bit gusty in the higher terrain, enough so that you should be aware of new wind drifted snow. |
general annoucements 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), Canyons Resort Dispatch (435-615-3322) 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 - DETAILS 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 snow and avalanche conditions. 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. This advisory is produced by the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. It describes only general avalanche conditions and local variations always exist. Specific terrain and route finding decisions should always be based on skills learned in a field-based avalanche class. |