Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Drew Hardesty for Thursday - January 15, 2015 - 6:13am
bottom line

A MODERATE danger for wind drifts should be stabilizing by day's end. You may find these pockets scattered across the compass and generally just off the ridgelines. The danger for wet loose and wet slab avalanches will rise toward CONSIDERABLE with daytime heating and direct sun.

Travel Tip - Be off of and out from underneath the steep sunlit slopes by midday. The best and safest terrain will be in shady sheltered mid-elevation glades.
current conditions

Bluebird. Mountain temps are in the mid to upper 20s along the ridgelines, the mid teens in the basins and valleys. Winds remain north to northeasterly blowing less than 15mph. Riding conditions remain good but for some wind damage in open exposed terrain...and the southerlies which will sport a melt-freeze crust this am from yesterday's sun.

recent activity

A number of avalanches reported from the backcountry that included a few skier and sled-triggered wind drifts from Tuesday's gusty northeast winds..and a couple new glide releases in Broads Fork of BCC. The details - (go to wbskiing.com for locations)

  • South Monitor likely naturalled Tuesday night. 2' deep 150' wide. NE facing terrain at 10,000'. (left - Mark White)
  • Mary Ellen in upper American Fork. Skier hiking the ridge triggered a 2-3' deep 150' wide wind slab. South facing 10,000'
  • Ant Knolls above Midway - sled triggered wind slab 1-2' deep and 200' wide on a north facing slope at 9600'.
  • Upper Alexander Basin off Gobbler's Knob - skier intentionally triggered wind slab produced 1' deep and 40' wide pocket on a steep NE facing shot at 9800'. (right pic - Todd Leeds)
  • Bonkers and the Blue Ice area - TWO new glide releases noted in Broads Fork of BCC -

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

With direct sun and mountain temperatures expected to rise into the mid-30s at 10,000' and the mid-40s at 8000', human triggered wet sluffs and a few wet slabs today are all but certain. TIMING WILL BE KEY! Those late to the game on steep sustained southerlies can expect to trigger wet slides that'll easily gouge into the storm snow from the weekend, producing healthy, if bone-snapping, debris piles.

Roller balls, pinwheels, natural sluffs, snow falling from trees are all signs that you may be too late in heading into steep sun-exposed terrain.

Click on the 'i' next to the Wet Avalanche icon for more info -
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

Rapidly warming temps should keep these on your radar for just another day. These left-over wind drifts from Tuesday's northeasterlies are generally 1-2' deep and on a variety of aspects due to forcing and terrain channeling. Most have settled out...and any lingering pockets will generally respond well to slope cuts and cornice drops. Other tracks on the slope are typically reliable indicators of slope-specific stability.

New Snow Instabilities tend to spike with the storm...and then rapidly settle out. It's much like a EKG chart - as depicted below. It's why, if you go to a certain piece of terrain often, follow the snow, weather, and avalanche history and do the homework, you're able to ride certain terrain. Be honest with yourself about whether you're as diligent as you think you are. Another point - we all have varying levels of risk tolerance. A key word here is 'tolerance'.

Click on the 'i' next to the Wind Slab icon for more info -
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

Don't be that guy.

It just takes one. Don't be the guy or gal who is too late to be in the steep south facing terrain above Little Cottonwood Canyon today and triggers a wet slide across the road or on top of other skiers/riders below.

weather

It'll be another grand day in the Wasatch with clear skies, generally light wind and temps in the 30s and 40s. High pressure and clear skies will slowly give way to increasing clouds tomorrow ahead of the first of a couple weak going-through-the-motions weather systems for Friday and again Sun/Mon. The weather models don't agree on much for next week - we'll let the next couple model runs work things out. Check back for our Mtn WX forecast each day by about noon.

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, 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)

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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, or on Twitter, follow @UDOTavy, @CanyonAlerts or @AltaCentral

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

Wasatch Powderbird Guides Blog/Itinerary for the Day.  

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

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

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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.