2 great learning opportunities this week: On Feb 6 (evening) and Feb 8 (field day) Brett Kobernik will be leading an Advanced Avalanche Skills class. This is your chance to spend time with a Forecaster honing your avalanche skills. This is a great follow-up to a backcountry 101 or refresher for a several year old Level 1 or Level 2 class. Details here.

On Feb 6 (evening) and Feb 8 (field day), Craig Gordon will lead an avalanche class at Snowbasin for Sidecountry skiers and snowboarders. Learn how to make smart decisions riding in the backcountry on the other side of the resort boundary, riding powder and coming home alive. Details here.

Join us Thursday 2/6 at the Wildflower Lounge at Snowbird at 6:00pm to hear ANDREW MCLEAN present: Powered Up – Kite Assisted Steep Skiing in Baffin Island and Patagonia The only thing better than remote, long, steep, powder-filled couloirs is getting a free ride to the base of them with a kite. Andrew will highlight two of his favorite kite assisted trips to Baffin Island and the Southern Patagonia Ice Cap. Andrew is the author of The Chuting Gallery and a prolific ski explorer who has completed first descents on all seven continents.

The overnight storm was a nice little refresher for the backcountry - the Ogden mountains received a 6 to 8 inch blanket of snow, Salt Lake and Park City mountains 3 to 6”, and the Provo mountains 1 to 3”. This snow may be fairly close to 2% “wild snow”, as it contained well under a ½ inch of water. The winds were suspiciously quiet all night, but are increasing as of 4 am. Most elevations have 5-10 mph averages from the northwest, but a few of the highest peaks now averaging 20 to 25 mph, gusting to 40. 10,000’ temperatures are in the low single digits.

Yesterday, there were reports of dry sluffs, and a few shallow natural wind slabs off east facing. The Ogden area mountains had more substantial wind slab activity – slabs up to 1 ½ feet deep released with slope cuts.

Skies are trying to clear from north to south, but they may lose the battle, with clouds filling back in and producing instability showers by mid-morning. Another with 2 to 4” of almost weightless snow is possible. 10,000’ temperatures will continue to cool – hovering around zero for the day. 8,000’ temperatures will remain near 10 degrees. The northwesterly winds are forecast to pick up slightly, with 10 to 20 mph averages. The highest peaks and ridge lines could reach 25 mph averages, with gusts to 35. Another storm is in the forecast, with the heaviest snow on Thursday.

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.

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 (801-223-4150)

EMAIL ADVISORY We have switched to a new SLC email advisory system. If you would like to get the daily advisory by email, or if you have been getting the advisory by email since the beginning of the season and wish to continue, you will need to subscribe here.​  

DAWN PATROL Hotline updated daily by 5-530am - 888-999-4019 option 8.

Twitter Updates for your mobile phone - DETAILS

UDOT canyon closures:  LINK TO UDOT

Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools.uned.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides Blog/Itinerary for the Day.  

Lost or Found something in the backcountry? - http://nolofo.com/

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

Discount lift tickets are now available at Backcountry.com - Thanks to Ski Utah and the Utah Resorts.  All proceeds go towards paying for Utah Avalanche Center avalanche and mountain weather advisories.

To those skinning uphill at resorts:  it is your responsibility to know the resort policy on uphill travel.  Some allow uphill travel and have guidelines, some don't. Contact the Ski Patrol at each resort for details. IMPORTANT: Before skinning at a resort under new snow conditions, check in with Ski Patrol.  Resorts can restrict or cut off access if incompatible with control and grooming operations.

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you shop from Backcountry.com or REI:  Click this link for Backcountry.com or this link to REI, shop, and they will donate a percent of your purchase price to the UAC.  Both offer free shipping (with some conditions) so this costs you nothing!

Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you buy or sell on ebay - set the Utah Avalanche Center as a favorite non-profit in your ebay account here and click on ebay gives when you buy or sell.  You can choose to have your seller fees donated to the UAC, which doesn't cost you a penny.

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 exist.