SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT |
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Plowing on the Mirror Lake Highway is done for the season, but maintenance on Wolf Creek Pass continues. In either case, be aware the Uinta snowpack is notoriously sketchy and much weaker than you might find in the central Wasatch.
Our Uinta weather station network up and running and you can click here for winds, temperatures, and snow depths from around the range. Big thanks to Ted and Trent for braving the challenging conditions on Windy Peak and making the necessary repairs… you guys rock! |
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BOTTOM LINE
Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)
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Danger Rose Tutorial
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In the wind zone at the highest elevations you’ll find pockets of Level 3 (Considerable) avalanche danger and human triggered avalanches are likely on steep, wind drifted slopes.
At treeline a Level 2 (Moderate) avalanche danger exists and human triggered avalanches are possible on steep wind drifted slopes, especially those facing the north half of the compass. While more the exception than the rule, avalanches breaking into old snow are still possible, particularly on steep upper elevation northwest, north, northeast, and east facing slopes.
A Level 1 (Low) avalanche danger will be found at lower elevations out of the wind, on southerly facing terrain, and on slopes that had no snow prior to early November storms. |
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CURRENT CONDITIONS |
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Happy Thanksgiving. Southerly winds are ushering in the holiday as a weak system grazes the region. Winds ramped up around 1:00 yesterday afternoon and have been blowing in the 30’s and 40’s, gusting to 60 mph along the highest ridges. Temperatures are mild, in the low to mid 30’s. With total snow depths only averaging 18”-24” riding and turning are limited to upper elevation, rock free roads and meadows. |
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RECENT ACTIVITY |
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No new avalanches to report.
Click here for recent observations from around the range. |
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THREAT #1 |
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PROBABILITY |
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TREND |
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Over the next
24 hours.
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Burly and consistent south, southwest and southeast winds having been busy at work, transporting what little snow we have onto steep north facing slopes. Today’s slabs are found on the leeward side of upper elevation ridgelines and they’re easy to detect by their smooth, rounded, pillow-like appearance. Unfortunately, the drifts are getting more stubborn and harder to trigger, giving you a false sense of strong, stable snow. While more the exception than the rule there is an isolated possibility that once triggered, a small avalanche could break into weaker snow near the ground. |
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THREAT #2 |
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PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
24 hours.
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Speaking of weak snow, yesterday while stomping around in upper Weber Canyon we found the snowpack reactive to our additional weight and experienced several loud whoomphing collapses and shooting cracks. The culprit weak layer is old October snow which has grown weak and sugary overtime. The good news is… you’d really have to go out of your way to trigger an avalanche that breaks into old snow. There's really not that much snow on the eastern front and many slopes still have anchors poking through the snow. The bad news is… if you do trigger a slide it’ll result in a nasty ride through the same anchors that are barely covered over by our thin snowpack. Slamming into rocks, stumps and downed timber will definitely ruin your day, quickly resulting in a season ending injury. Click here to see what we're dealing with. |
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MOUNTAIN WEATHER |
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The weather is looking pretty grim. Overcast skies, strong winds, and warm temperatures are on tap for today. Southerly winds will continue to blow in the 30’s and 40’s, before diminishing later today. After high temperatures climb into the upper 30’s, temperatures should be dropping throughout the day as well. A secondary system brushes by northern Utah Friday bringing a colder air mass, with the chance of a couple inches of snow. A strong ridge builds in for the remainder of the weekend and we should see clear skies and warming temperatures. Still there are no big storms in sight. |
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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS |
The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Saturday, November 26th.
If you’re getting out and about and trigger an avalanche or see anything interesting please drop me an email at craig@utahavalanchecenter.org or call 801-231-2170
Also, now is a great time to schedule one of our free avalanche awareness presentations for your group or club. Email or call me and we’ll get you booked before things get too crazy. |
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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 occur. |
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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. |
