Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Brett Kobernik for Tuesday - February 25, 2014 - 6:47am
bottom line

The overall avalanche danger is MODERATE today which means human triggered avalanches are possible. Southerly facing slopes as well as all aspects at lower elevations should be monitored for daytime heating. Upper elevation north through east facing slopes have an isolated potential for a larger more dangerous avalanche.
special announcement

Due to the positive response from our first ever Snowshoe Backcountry 101 classes, we are running one more, with the lecture Wednesday evening, February 26, and the field day at Brighton on March 1. Sign up here.
current conditions

Clouds moved in mid day on Monday creating a little "greenhousing" where the snow became damp on all aspects up to around 9000 feet. However, the cloud cover also ceased the southerly facing slopes from softening up. Cold dense loose snow is relegated to the upper elevation protected areas. Winds were light from the west overnight and temperatures were mild in the mid to upper 20s along the ridges and even low 30s in the mid elevations. Skies were clear.
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

Avalanche conditions are as quiet as they've been but don't let your guard down. Continue to pay attention to changing conditions as you change elevations and aspects. Watch for areas with recent wind drifts and other areas where the snow is becoming too wet. When avalanche conditions become more quiet, we tend to take more risks in more serious terrain but keep in mind that the more radical terrain is where you still may trigger a deep slab avalanche. Continue to put one person on a slope at a time when in avalanche terrain. Be aware of what's above you and don't linger in runout zones.

Here are bullet points to keep in mind for today:

  • HEAT RELATED AVALANCHE ACTIVITY - watch southerly facing slopes as they heat up with direct sun today. Wet loose snow avalanches may occur. Be careful on all aspects at the lower elevations and watch for areas where the entire pack is wet and punchy. Stay off of and out from under steep slopes when you find these conditions.
  • DEEP SLAB AVALANCHES - these are still possible in isolated places. Explosive testing in uncompacted terrain at ski resorts Monday popped out a hanging snowfield which broke into weak faceted snow. This demonstrates one type of terrain where these are still likely. Overall shallower snowpack areas are also more likely to have deep slab issues. Deep slab avalanches are most likely on the upper elevation north through east facing slopes.
  • CORNICES - these have grown fairly large over the last week and are somewhat sensitive. Warming trends often lend to more sensitivity. Give cornices a wide berth as they often break farther back than anticipated.
weather

We're going to have mostly clear to partly cloudy skies as a system tries to brush north eastern Utah today. Temperatures will be fairly warm with 8000 foot highs in the mid to upper 30s and low 30s along the ridges. Winds should stay fairly light and be from the west. We'll have another fairly nice day on Wednesday. It looks like a storm will move in on Thursday with a break Friday then picking back up Saturday and Sunday.
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.