Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Saturday - December 14, 2013 - 7:04am
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The avalanche danger Is MODERATE on west through north through easterly facing slopes, for triggering a 1 to 2 foot deep slab avalanche. The greatest danger is above about 9,000. HUMAN-TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

While the chance of triggering a slide is becoming less with each day, any slide you trigger will be just as dangerous - up to 150’ wide, 2’ deep, with stepped up consequences due to the potential for a long, rocky ride. Also avoid any steep slopes with new or old drifts of wind-blown snow.

Continue to recreate on lower angle slopes, less steep than about 35 degrees, in wind sheltered terrain.




current conditions

Under mostly clear skies, temperatures are in the teens this morning, and the northwesterly winds are light. Most stations are averaging less than 15 mph, and even the high peaks are less than 30 mph in the Salt Lake mountains. Wind speeds are even less in the Ogden and Provo area mountains.

Sunny slopes are crusted, there’re hard and breakable wind slabs up high, but the treat is mid elevation, wind and sun sheltered slopes, with soft, recrystallized powder. The snowpack is still shallow, though, and take care to avoid the rocks and stumps lurking beneath the surface.

recent activity

Just a few observations from yesterday – along the Park City ridge line, explosive control work released several soft slabs that then gouged into facets near the ground and were long running. These were on NNE facing slopes, at 9,800’. A few minor soft slabs were also triggered in steep terrain. Collapsing was noted in Pole Canyon (a drainage in Mill Creek) on a NW facing slope at 8800’.

Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Very poor snow pack structure remains, and I find steep, northerly facing slopes down right spooky. While the chance of triggering a slide is slowly decreasing, the consequences are no less. Deep, dangerous slides can still be triggered, remotely from below or from the side. Any collapsing is a sign of a very unstable snow pack. Continue to avoid the steep, shady slopes. A triggered shallow soft slab avalanche, wind drift or sluff could step down into the deeper weak layers.

Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Wind slabs continue to lurk in the high elevation terrain:

  • Old, hard wind drifts can be triggered, which would be like having the rug pulled out beneath you. These hard drifts are mostly in the upper elevation terrain, especially along the ridgelines.
  • Avoid any new wind drifts that may form later today, if wind speeds increase.
weather

Head to the mountains to warm up today – highs will be near 30 at 8,000’ and 20 at 10,000’, and with partly cloudy skies in the forecast, there should even be some sunshine. The northwesterly winds will remain light today, in the 10 to 20 mph range. Across the high ridgelines and peaks, speeds could increase into the 25 to 35 mph range later today and tonight. High pressure will continue to dominate the northern Utah weather through mid-week, with sunny skies and warming temperatures in the mountains. The next chance for a storm and snow looks to be around Thursday.

general announcements

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.

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)

Snowbasin Resort Dispatch (801-620-1017), Powder Mountain Dispatch (801-745-3772 x 123).

Sundance Dispatch (801-231-4150)

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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, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.