Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Uintas Area Mountains Issued by Craig Gordon for Sunday - February 8, 2015 - 5:12am
bottom line

In the wind zone at and above treeline, pockets of CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exist and human triggered avalanches are probable, especially on steep slopes facing the north half of the compass.

While not as widespread, winds formed stubborn drifts in mid elevation terrain where a MODERATE avalanche danger is found and human triggered avalanches are possible on steep wind drifted slopes

Out of the wind the avalanche danger is generally LOW.




special announcement

We still have a few open slots for next weekends Avy and Riding Skills Workshop. More info can be found here

And a great recap of the workshop is found here.

RESEARCH PROJECT ON UNDERSTANDING TRAVEL BEHAVIOR IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN NEEDS YOU!

Scientists from the Snow and Avalanche Lab at Montana State University are seeking more participants for their project examining decision making and travel in avalanche terrain. Their project aims to collect GPS location information (from your smartphone) and survey responses from backcountry skiers and riders to better understand what types of terrain are used and how decisions are made. Their focus is on backcountry skiers and riders of all abilities and experience.

For more information: www.montana.edu/snowscience/tracks For snowmobilers: www.montana.edu/snowscience/sleds

We just released an exciting, new avy safety video designed specifically for snowmobilers - Knowledge is Powder. https://vimeo.com/113677686

NEW THIS YEAR: You can now receive advisories by email for each region in the state. Go here for details.

current conditions

Yesterday's brush-by produced a trace of snow and slightly cooler overnight temperatures in the mid 20's. It'll be a beautiful day as skies cleared last night and southwest winds have mellowed into the 20's and 30's along the high ridges. But it sorta reminds me of the "The Needle and the Damage Done"... winds have been nuking for the past couple of days, ruining a lot of good snow in our big, open bowls. However, hunt around a little and you'll be rewarded with dense, creamy snow in wind sheltered terrain.

Click here for real-time temperatures, snowfall, and winds.

recent activity

Not particularly deep, but late last week slabs were becoming more connected and could definitely ruin your day if you were on the receiving end.

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

Winds have finally relaxed somewhat and I bet today's drifts won't be quite as sensitive as the past few days. Problem is, the combination of dense storm snow and erratic winds created an uneven distribution of snow. One moment you're on a icy, wind scoured patch of snow.... the next, in a thick, dense wind drift. If your travels take you into multiple drainages and elevations, take a moment and re-evaluate your terrain choices from time to time. While mostly confined to steep, upper elevation terrain facing the north half of the compass, you'll want to look for and avoid any fat, rounded piece of snow, especially if it sounds hollow like a drum.

Recent avalanche activity in Whitney Basin. Not widespread, but definitely large enough to roll you.


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

Cornices have grown large and are breaking back a bit further than you might expect. In addition, there's a chance that once initiated, a large block of corni can trigger a slab as it crashes down on the slope below.

weather

Sunny skies, diminishing winds, and temperatures climbing into the low 40's... yep, it'll be a beautiful day in the mountains. A cold front slides through the region Monday, bringing a shot of snow and stacking up 3"-6" by the time things clear out late Tuesday. Warm, dry, high pressure builds for the end of the week.

Yes... it has been unusually warm.

general announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions.   You can call me directly at 801-231-2170, email [email protected], or email by clicking HERE

This is a great time of year to schedule a free avalanche awareness presentation for your group or club. You can contact me at 801-231-2170 or email [email protected]

Donate to your favorite non-profit –The Utah Avalanche Center. The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.

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.

Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools.

The information in this advisory is from the US Forest Service which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

I will update this advisory by 7:00 AM Wednesday Feb. 11, 2015.