Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Mark Staples for Sunday - February 28, 2016 - 6:24am
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Today the avalanche danger is LOW.

Even though today is starting much cooler than yesterday, glide avalanches are a remote possibility in the steep rocky slab terrain of Stairs Gulch, Broads Fork and Mill B South of Big Cottonwood Canyon. These types of slides happen at random times. Look for large cracks in the snowpack and avoid slopes under them.




special announcement

The Utah Avalanche Center greatly values our longtime partnership with our world-class resorts and is blowing out the remaining donated lift tickets from Snowbird, Snowbasin, Sundance, and Nordic Valley with reduced prices. Every penny you spend benefits the Utah Avalanche Center.

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

current conditions

Temperatures this morning under clear skies are in the low 20's F, about ten degrees cooler than yesterday morning. Light westerly winds are blowing 10 mph. Many aspects and elevations had an ice crust on the snow surface yesterday morning and I expect the same this morning. Sunshine and warm temperatures should soften this crust today. Dry snow can still be found at the highest elevations on northerly aspects.

recent activity

There was one reported avalanche on Murdock Peak at the head of Mill Creek Canyon. It was 6 inches deep and 40 feet wide on a slope that has produced repeated avalanches this winter. While not a widespread problem at all, it is a good reminder that a low avalanche danger doesn't mean there is no avalanche danger.

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

Take normal caution today which means carrying rescue gear and exposing one person at a time to avalanche terrain. Watch for small loose, wet avalanches on sunny slopes, but these slides are not likely given the solid refreeze of the snowpack overnight.

weather

A few clouds are possible today otherwise expect clear sunny skies. Temperatures should break into the 40's F and westerly winds will remain light blowing about 10 mph. A few snowflakes may fall late tonight or tomorrow. The seven day forecast is mostly warm and dry with a few small storms that may pass through Wyoming. There's a chance for changing conditions a week ahead. Do you ever feel like Jim Carrey in the movie "Dumb and Dumber" when you hear that there's a small chance of snowfall in the long term forecast?

general announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out 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 request 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.

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 critical to know the resort policy on uphill travel.  You can see the uphill travel policy for each resort here

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.