SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT |
 |
Dangerous avalanche conditions will be found today in steep, upper elevation, wind drifted terrain.
|
|
|
BOTTOM LINE
Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)
|
Danger Rose Tutorial
|
At and above treeline dangerous avalanche conditions exist. In the wind zone pockets of Level 4 (HIGH) avalanche danger will be found today and human triggered avalanches breaking to weak snow near the ground are likely.
At treeline and on any steep, mid elevation slope, especially those facing the north half of the compass, a Level 3 (CONSIDERABLE) avalanche danger exists.
Mid and low elevation slopes facing the south half of the compass offer Level 1 (LOW) avalanche danger. |
|
|
CURRENT CONDITIONS |
|
Clear skies, warm temperatures, and light winds are on tap as high pressure continues to dominate our weather pattern. Currently it’s in the mid to upper 20’s and northwest winds are blowing 10-20 mph along the high ridges. Conditions are quite thin and it’s downright boney out there, but the riding is pretty good for early October. |
|
|
RECENT ACTIVITY |
|
Ted and I were on our way to maintain the Windy Peak weather station when Ted spotted a slide on Yamaha Hill that occurred late Monday afternoon. 1’-4’ deep and 300’ wide, the sled triggered avalanche was initiated low on the slope, breaking into weak sugary snow near the ground.Click to view images before and after the slide was triggered.
Click here for recent observations from around the range. |
|
|
THREAT #1 |
|
| WHERE |
PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Over the next
24 hours.
|
|
|
Avalanche conditions remain deceptively tricky and dangerous. The snowpack is historically thin and weak and Friday’s wind event was the big game changer…. now there’s a slab resting on top of this fragile, sugary junk show. As we saw with the Yamaha Hill slide, avalanches can be triggered low on the slope, essentially kicking the legs out from underneath the slab adding a whole new dimension to the avalanche equation. Since Friday, there have been three unintentionally triggered slides that we know of, all initiated at the bottom of the slope. Fortunately no one has been caught or injured, but the basic fact is our snowpack remains highly suspect and we can’t ride terrain like we did last year at this time. It’s an entirely different avalanche dragon we’re dealing with. Avalanches triggered on steep slopes facing the north half of the compass will break into weak snow near the ground, producing large, dangerous, and possibly unsurvivable slides. (Click here to view a video explaining the sketchy setup).
Whoomphing, collapsing, shooting cracks, and avalanches are your biggest clues to unstable snow. Take a minute and look around and make informed decisions. If you’re seeing these huge red flags, be flexible with your objectives for the day. Above all…. think about the consequences if you do trigger a slide and get dragged through rocks and stumps barely hidden under our shallow snowpack. It doesn’t mean you can’t ride today. It does mean you’re gonna have to tone it down, exercise patience, and avoid being on or connected to steep slopes, especially those with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. You can still have a blast today carving on low angle meadows and slopes that face the south half of the compass and never even have to deal with any avalanche issues. |
|
|
MOUNTAIN WEATHER |
|
As if you didn't already know.... not much going on in this department. High pressure remains in control through Thursday with continued dry and mild conditions. Highs reach into the upper 30’s with overnight lows in the mid 20’s. West and northwest winds should remain in the 10-25 mph range. A cooling trend is expected late in the week, with light snow possible Saturday. |
|
|
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, January 7th.
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. |
|
|
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. |
