Skyline Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Grant Helgeson

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

A Level 3 (CONSIDERABLE) avalanche danger exists at treeline & above on slopes 35 degrees and steeper. The massive storm system left over 3' of new snow, and while the snowpack is settling out rapidly, it still needs time to adjust to this new load. Combining a rider, a machine & a steep slope will likely result in an avalanche today.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

It's 17 degrees under mostly clear & calm skies this morning. The last storm system laid down a little over 3' of fresh snow on the Skyline making for over the hood conditions. Travel is a bit difficult at the moment, and for the most part, riders have been limited to the flats & more gentle terrain.

RECENT ACTIVITY

The clouds parted for a few hours yesterday afternoon revealing a glimpse of the recent natural avalanche cycle. Large avalanches up to 3' in depth are running on a crust formed by rain early in the storm system. Click here for details.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The intense storm system has finally left us more than doubling our snowpack. We're looking at end of season snowpack depths and it's only December. In the long run, this is going to make for an outstanding snowpack & season, but for now, the snowpack still needs more time to adjust to this massive new load before it's safe to ride the big terrain. Give the big open slopes a miss today & keep yourself alive for the holidays.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Sunny days & moderate temperatures will contribute to a tendency for folks to push themselves and the snowpack into bigger & bigger terrain. But, this is an UN-manageable hazard. The snowpack needs time to adjust. Stay away from the big bowls. When playing in the flats and gentle slopes, look what's above you to be sure you're not in the runout of an avalanche path.

THREAT #3
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Numerous small wet avalanches were observed at lower elevations yesterday. Temps will be on the rise this weekend, and you can expect another round of point release wet avalanches which will likely creep up in elevation. Watch for these in gullies and creek bottoms where the snow can pile up quickly & be careful where you park your rig.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

The weather should be beautiful in the mountains today. Getting up high will get you above the inversion and into the sunshine. Temps will rise to near freezing today at ridgetop with little or no wind. Tomorrow is more of the same, with temps above freezing all the way to 10,000'. A weak storm system moves past us Sunday evening before moderate temperatures and sunny days take hold for the first half of the week. The models have aligned for a more robust cold front to move into our area in the second half of the week.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

See or trigger an avalanche? I'd like to hear about it! You can reach me on my cell phone: Eight Zero One - Eight Two Four - Zero Three Zero Five or shoot me an email: grant (at) utahavalanchecenter (dot) org

We are teaching a Snowmobile Avalanche Awareness Course the week of January 5th. Click here for details.

Click here for a refresher on the Avalanche Danger Scale.

Click here for a review on the Danger Rose.

This forecast will be updated by 7:00am Friday December 31st.

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 occur.

This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.