Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Brett Kobernik for Thursday - February 27, 2014 - 6:29am
bottom line

The overall avalanche danger is MODERATE today. Watch for instabilities within the new snow as well as wind drifting of the new snow. Anticipate wind loaded slopes on northwest through southeast facing slopes along the ridges. Keep in mind that the avalanche danger rises rapidly during periods of heavy snowfall.
special announcement

Join us March 8th and 9th at Brighton Resort for the first annual VertFest and 11th annual PowderKeg. There will be gear demos, a series of backcountry skills clinics, free beacon clinics, a party featuring the band Salem from Boulder, CO and a great gear raffle. The VertFest is a benefit for the Utah Avalanche Center. Click Here to find out more and to sign up for the backcountry clinics.

current conditions

Warm temperatures made the snow damp on all aspects up to around 9500 feet on Wednesday with some southerly and lower elevation slopes becoming saturated and punchy all the way through the pack. Overnight temperatures stayed mild with upper elevations in the mid to upper 20s and mid elevations around freezing or higher. Southerly winds are increasing in speed. A few light snow showers have been noted this morning already.
recent activity

There were a few wet loose avalanches on steep southerly slopes Wednesday. Mid day cloud cover shut down continued heating just about the time things were getting fairly loose.
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

We shift gears as storms roll through over the next few days and we need to start thinking about how the new snow will impact the avalanche conditions.

  • The first thing to consider is how the new snow bonds with the old snow surface. During field work over the last few days, there has been some minor near surface facets noted on the surface or just below crusts. This isn't a huge issue as it is quite localized and scattered on the more northerly slopes above around 9500'. Other surfaces are just dense loose snow, wind crusts or sun crusts. I anticipate the new snow to bond well with the old surface.
  • Next we will want to pay attention to any weak layering that occurs within the new snow. Molesting small steep test slopes, using shovel tilt tests and dropping small cornices are all good ways to feel for any instability within the new snow. New snow instabilities often spike rapidly during periods of heavy snowfall like we may see this afternoon.
  • Lastly, will we get enough weight to reactivate the old persistent weak facets? This is more of a long term question as the second half of the storm this weekend may add enough weight to overload old weak snow but I suspect it will be very scattered and an isolated concern. Wind loading will determine how much of a problem this poses. Even if we get the high end of forecast water amounts of 2 inches or so, this won't overload most areas in the upper Cottonwoods periphery where the snowpack is fairly deep.
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

Increasing winds will drift snow today so you will want to watch for any fresh drifts that form especially along the lee sides of the ridges. Watch for cracking as you travel indicating wind slabs are forming. Cutting test slopes and small cornice drops are appropriate for getting an idea of how sensitive these become. These fresh drifts will hardly be enough to effect the danger for snowmobilers today.
weather

Snow showers are expected this morning and will pick up mid day into tonight. Ridgetop temperatures will drop into the 20s as the day goes on. Snow levels will start out around 7000 feet. Winds will be moderate to strong increasing more as the day goes on from the southwest. Snow will continue into tonight with 4 to 8 inches total expected. We'll see a break Friday then another system moves through this weekend which should bring more snow than today's storm.
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.