Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Salt Lake Area Mountains Issued by Evelyn Lees for Friday - January 13, 2017 - 6:37am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on steep wind drifted mid and upper elevation slopes where wind drifts and cornices can be easily triggered by a person. The avalanche danger is MODERATE on other steep slopes at the mid and lower elevations. The surface snow could become sensitive this afternoon if we get heating and sun.

Most of the Wasatch backcountry is untracked, so start out on the lower angle slopes, and save hitting the steepest terrain for another day or two.




current conditions

Under cloudy skies, it’s a very calm morning. Temperatures are uniform, in the upper teens to low twenties. The southeasterly winds remain so very light – averaging less than 10 mph even across the highest peaks, with only the occasional gust to 15. Four-day storm totals of 2 to 4 feet in the Salt Lake, Park City and Provo area mountains were capped off with a few final inches of low density snow overnight.

recent activity

There was a natural avalanche in the Catcher's Mitt, on Kessler. Poor visibility has kept us from observing what sort of natural avalanche cycle occurred in the Park City, Salt Lake and Provo area mountains. Avalanche reduction work at the resorts and for the highways yesterday triggered numerous new snow avalanches. One of the largest was a heavily wind loaded southeast facing slope on Superior, which ran to the road. Also, explosives released a 4 to 6’ deep, 80’ wide slide in graupel pooling at the below a cliff. Hopefully visibility will be better today, and look for crowns and telltale signs of snow plastered on the uphill side of trees and chunks of debris.

--Ogden area mountains: there was an impressive low elevation avalanche cycle Wednesday night, with slides failing on facets above Dec 16 rain crust. Check out the observations by Hardesty, Mike H and Wewer. There was also a widespread cycle in the Logan area mountains.

Left: Ogden avalanche, Hardesty photo Right: Logan photo, Weed photo


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 more stubborn to trigger today, and especially dangerous if they break above you. The drifts are most widespread on upper elevation slopes, and slopes facing northwest through southeast. Look for and avoid drifts that are cross-loaded in in open bowls, at mid slope break overs and along sub ridges.

Huge cornices are still hanging along the ridgelines, and will break back much further than expected. A cornice fall could trigger a slide on the slope below.

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

It is still possible to trigger shallower soft slab avalanches and sluffs in steep terrain today. This afternoon, filtered sun and warming temperatures could make the new snow more sensitive. If the snow surface warms, sluffs will be easier to trigger

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

In my mind, I can just hear the snowpack groaning under the weight that has been added this month. I suspect deeper slides occurred during the storm, and in isolated places could still be triggered by a person or a smaller slide stepping down. At the mid and low elevations, there is a variable rain crust, which in places is poorly bonded to facets beneath it. Gagne observation took a look at this yesterday. Avoiding the steepest slopes at all elevations, including terrain traps like gullies and creeks banks low down, will help you avoid triggering these deeper slides.

Greg Gagne photo of crusts, 7700’, Big Cottonwood

weather

After a few lingering snow showers this morning, clouds may thin this afternoon. The southeasterly winds are forecast to remain very light for the next 24 hours, averaging in the 5 to 15 mph range, even across the highest peaks. Temperatures will stay in the upper teens at 10,000’, and warm into the low 30s at 8,000’. Quiet, dry weather through the weekend will give way to another prolonged storm cycle starting mid week.

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.