Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Saturday - February 15, 2014 - 6:51am
bottom line

The AVALANCHE DANGER IS HIGH on all mid and upper elevation slopes – for deep slabs breaking to the ground on the northwest through easterly facing slopes and for wet avalanches on most aspects. Wet slides will increase with daytime heating on all aspects. Avoid travel in historic run out zones. Low elevation slopes have a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger for wet avalanches and for run out zones.

Leaving the exit gates of one of the mountain resorts? You are stepping through that gate into HIGH danger terrain. Those without expert level avalanche skills, including terrain and snowpack evaluation, should avoid backcountry travel and Sunday.




avalanche warning

An Avalanche Warning remain in effect for all the mountains of northern and central Utah including the Logan area mountains…the mountains of extreme southeastern Idaho…the western Uintas…the Ogden…Salt Lake…Park City…and Provo area mountain and the Manti-Skyline south to I-70.  Dangerous avalanche conditions exist on all aspects and elevations.  Large destructive natural avalanches are occurring.   Backcountry travel is not recommended.   

special announcement

Remember, there is safe world-class powder skiing to be had at the resorts right now. You can get donated discount lift tickets here [link to http://www.backcountry.com/Store/catalog/search.jsp?q=utah+avalanche+center&s=u] to benefit the Utah Avalanche Center.

Splitboarders: The Wasatch Splitfest will be held in SLC Feb 13-16, with daily tours and a party Saturday night at the Canyon Inn featuring a series of presentations, socializing, post-tour refreshments, and a drawing for great donated gear to benefit the Utah Avalanche Center. The recent tragedies in the backcountry underscore the importance of backcountry education and safety awareness and UAC Forecaster Brett Kobernik will be giving a talk about what is going on in the snow right now. Details here [link to https://www.facebook.com/WasatchSplitfest?fref=ts]

current conditions

Under overcast skies, temperatures are absurdly warm – most stations are in the low 30s to mid-40s, with the only below freezing readings along the higher ridgelines. The southwesterly winds have decreased from their brisk overnight speeds, and are currently averaging 25 to 35mph across the highest peaks, with averages less than 15 mph elsewhere. Wind speeds are significantly stronger to the north in the Ogden area mountains. Widespread, wet sloppy snow is the name of the game today.

recent activity

Numerous natural avalanches were reported yesterday from the Park City ridge line and in the Salt Lake mountains. The largest slides include one stretching from Cardiff Pass perhaps connecting nonstop all the way to Cardiac ridge and a large east facing slide above Maybird. Many are posted, with photos. No observations due to poor visibility from the Ogden and Provo area mountains. Cardiff photo below. Note crowns in foreground also.

Guild Line, Silver Fork, left below photo. Patsy Marley/Wolverine Cirque, right photo below.

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

The monsters are out of the basement and running wild – deep, wide avalanches, breaking mid pack or near the ground, are connecting across terrain and running far. They have been most widespread on northwest through easterly facing slopes, especially where wind drifted, at the upper elevations. With giant naturals occurring, travel is unsafe below these slopes, and the distance they may run into the flats is hard to determine. Many valley bottom roads and trails are in potential run out zones. More natural avalanches are expected today, and avalanches can also be triggered by a person or by the weight of a smaller slide, such as a sluff, wind slab or a cornice fall. Repeaters are possible.

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

The snowpack is becoming unglued. The snow is wet and weak. No overnight refreeze, very warm temperatures and the possibility of filtered sun means large destructive wet slides are possible today – both wet sluffs and wet slabs.

  • Wet Sluffs are possible on almost all aspects and elevations, with the northerly facing slopes heating during periods of high thin clouds. Once these wet sluffs get moving, they can gouge and entrain snow, resulting in big, cement-like debris piles. Even a small sluff can pile up snow deeply in a terrain trap such as a gully or below a road cut.
  • The chance of large destructive Wet Slabs increases each day with non-freezing temperatures.
  • Glide avalanches may occur on slopes with rock slabs beneath the snow.
  • Any snow remaining on roofs and buildings and ice dams could release as warm temperatures continue.
Avalanche Problem 3
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

The steady southwest to westerly winds continued to form wind slabs and drifts overnight, especially in the Ogden area mountains. These drifts will be most common on north through easterly facing slopes, and very sensitive. In addition, they are overloading slopes with preexisting weak snow. Drifts in themselves sensitive… Cornices are very sensitive, and will break back much further than expected. Ridgeline travel may be unsafe.

weather

It will be a very warm day, with 8000’ highs in the low 40s and 10,000’ high in the mid-30s. The southwesterly winds should be relatively light today, with average less than 15 mph at most elevations. Only the highest peaks will reach average speeds of 30 mph, with gusts to 40. These warm temperatures will continue through mid-day Sunday, following another nonfreezing night. A quick moving cold front will finally cool temperatures by Sunday night, and bring a quick shot of snow. After a few more warm days, a colder, stormier period will arrive mid-week.

general announcements

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.