Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Monday - February 15, 2016 - 6:56am
bottom line

The avalanche danger of triggering a wind drift on a steep slope is CONSIDERABLE today at the upper elevations, and MODERATE at the mid elevations, particularly in Little Cottonwood, which received the most snow. Out of the wind drifted terrain, there is a MODERATE avalanche danger for triggering sluffs on steep slopes, storm slabs where the graupel has pooled beneath cliff bands and wet loose sluffs at the lower elevations.

Best turning and riding will be on lower angled, more wind sheltered slopes where the dense snow has mostly filled in the old tracks.




special announcement

Tuesday, February 16th - Companion Rescue at Weller Recreation from 6:30-9pm. For more info HERE.

WBSKIING: Steve Achelis has released his updated Wasatch Backcountry Skiing desktop webpage - wbskiing.com

Check out our Garage Sale! Chock full of sweet backcountry gear - you can find the goods on our Facebook page here

current conditions

While it’s soggy and rainy down low, the upper elevations got a nice shot of dense snow. The Ogden area mountains received up to 6” (10% density) and upper Little Cottonwood up to 8” (15 to 20% density). Big Cottonwood, the Provo area mountains and PC side received 2 to 5” of similarly dense snow. The rain/snow line is around 7,000’ this morning. The westerly winds are still cranking, averaging around 40 mph along the highest ridge lines and 10 to 15 mph in the mid elevation terrain.

This dense snow is the just the ticket to fill in old tracks and cover the hard icy slopes.

recent activity

Only reports of avalanches were from the Ogden area mountains, which received the most snow yesterday. There, ski cuts released wind slabs 1 to 2 feet deep, with activity at both upper and mid elevations, and there were also some long running sluffs.

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 wind drifts will be sensitive today, especially along the higher ridge lines in the areas that received the most snow. Slopes facing the east ½ of compass will have the most widespread and deepest drifts, but watch for cross loading on other aspects and around features such as sub ridges, break overs and gully walls, at both mid and upper elevations and in open bowls. Avoid any steep, wind-drifted slope - the most likely place to trigger a slide today.

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

Out of the wind-drifted terrain, the avalanche problems include loose snow sluffs and soft slabs, mostly in areas that received the higher snow amounts.

Loose snow sluffs could be triggered on steep slopes of any aspect, and may run further than expected on the slick crusts or dry sugary snow.

Graupel pooling - the ball-like pellets of snow will run down and pile up below cliff bands and at the bottoms of steep gullies and chutes, forming deeper slabs that could be triggered today

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

Many of the lowest elevation drainages and slopes remained in the cold part of the temperature inversion last week and have now finally “mixed out”. Rain falling on the faceted snow may trigger small wet loose sluffs on steep slopes like creek beds and road banks. Keep an eye on the rain/snow line today, and avoid soggy wet snow on even small steep slopes at the lower and mid elevations

weather

Riming and light snowfall will continue under a warm, moist northwest flow through mid morning, with additional inch or two of snow possible. The westerly winds will blast the higher ridge lines all day, averaging to 40 mph, with gusts to 60. At the mid elevations, expect 10 to 15 mph averages. Temperatures will warm into the upper 30s at 8,000’ today and into the upper 20s at 10,000’. The rain/snow line will be around 7,500 to 8,000’.

A warm, dry southwest flow will develop Tuesday into Wednesday, with 10,000’ temperatures soaring into the upper 30s by Wednesday. Winds become strong Wednesday night into Thursday ahead of a cold front, which will cross the Wasatch midday Thursday with a burst of snow.

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.

To get help in an emergency (to launch a rescue) in the Wasatch, call 911.  Be prepared to give your GPS coordinates or the run name. Dispatchers have a copy of the Wasatch Backcountry Ski map.

Backcountry Emergencies. It outlines your step-by-step method in the event of a winter backcountry incident.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry, but no one is hurt and you do not need assistance, please notify the nearest ski area dispatch to avoid a needless response by rescue teams. Thanks.

Salt Lake and Park City – Alta Central (801-742-2033), Canyons Resort/PCMR Dispatch (435)615-1911

Snowbasin Resort Dispatch (801-620-1017), Powder Mountain Dispatch (801-745-3772 x 123).

Sundance Dispatch (801-223-4150)

EMAIL ADVISORY  If you would like to get the daily advisory by email 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, 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.

Powderbird Helicopter Skiing - Blog/itinerary for the day  

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

Ski Utah mobile snow updates

To those skinning uphill at resorts:  it is your responsibility to know the resort policy on uphill travel.  You can see the uphill travel policy for each resort here. IMPORTANT: Before skinning or hiking 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.