Utah Avalanche Center
New member
February 25, 2007 - 8:22 am
SUMMARY >>> Danger by
ASPECT & ELEVATION
BOTTOM LINE
on slopes over 35 degrees
The danger is CONSIDERABLE today on steep wind drifted slopes and in areas that receive the most snow. All aspects at the higher elevations are likely to be sensitive today due to poor bonding with yesterday’s snow surface. The danger of triggering a slide into old snow is MODERATE but likely unsurvivable. It takes considerable route finding skills and self discipline to be wandering the backcountry these days.
Forecaster: Drew Hardesty LINKS: -Danger scale- -Encyclopedia- -Text only- CURRENT CONDITIONS >>> LINKS TO MORE INFO: NWS SNOW PAGESNOTEL MAP
Better late than never. Friday’s storm provided much needed relief and we have a few more good storms on the way. It’s already snowing through most of the northern mountains with 6-10” expected during the day. Warmer air pushing into the area has mountain temperatures into the teens and low twenties. The winds have shifted west and southwest and have increased to 25-30mph along the exposed ridgelines. The sunny aspects crusted with the sun, but the northerly aspects reminded me of the good old days.
RECENT AVALANCHES AND SNOWPACK INFO >>> LINKS TO MORE INFO
AVALANCHE LISTPHOTOSACCIDENTSSNOW PROFILES Explosive work in uncompacted terrain in upper Little Cottonwood and mitigation to protect the highways produced a couple good slides into old faceted snow up to 4’ deep on steep north and northeast facing terrain. Backcountry teams also found some excitement, particularly on steep sheltered terrain in drainages above Mill Creek. The intrepid Bob Athey dropped a cornice in upper West Porter, triggering a slide 24-30” deep and 80’ wide on a steep northeast facing slope at 9300’. Another up and coming observer remotely triggered a large avalanche (another photo) into old faceted snow adjacent to Little Water Peak on a 33 degree northeast facing slope at 9400’. Collapsing of new wind drifts and the facet/crust combo should still alert the backcountry wanderer to a still cranky pack.
AVALANCHE CONCERNS >>> WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND Likely
Unlikely Large
Small Increasing
Danger Same Decreasing
Danger over the next 24 hrs Clear and cold from yesterday hastened both the development of surface hoar and faceting of the snow surface, which won’t bode well for today’s anticipated snow and winds. Kobernik has a good photo here. If the winds and snow amounts verify, I’d expect very tender new wind drifts along the ridgelines and over steep breakovers. Remote and sympathetically triggered slides will be likely in the new snow, which should throw a wrench into classic route finding and runout zones. Drop a few cornices and move through lower angled slopes and test slopes to verify the initial hypothesis here.
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND Likely
Unlikely Large
Small Increasing
Danger Same Decreasing
Danger over the next 24 hrs Elsewhere in depth-hoar land, the good news is that they’re becoming more difficult to trigger. The bad news is that they are becoming more difficult to trigger. Like Tremper’s ‘monster out of the closet’ from a couple weeks ago, you may go slope after slope without any activity, only to find a superweak zone to trigger a hard slab into old snow 2-4’ deep. Their habitat remains on northwest through east facing slopes above about 8500’.
MOUNTAIN WEATHER >>> LINKS TO MORE INFO
UAC COMPILATION
NWS ZONAL FORECAST
SEASONAL Wx CHARTS A strong moist westerly flow will spread, at times, heavy snowfall in the mountains today with 6-10” in favored areas. The westerly winds should pick up into the 30mph range along the higher peaks with temps in the upper teens at 10,000’ and the upper 20’s at 8000’. We should get a quick break before a series of storms move in Tuesday through Friday.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>> I’ll be giving a talk at the Wild Rose in the avenues Tuesday night at 7pm. It’s a higher level talk on Forecasting the Different Avalanche Dragons. Bring your Crazy Creek Chair and a picnic basket.
Yesterday, the Wasatch Powderbird Guides flew in Cardiff, Silver, Grizzly, and American Fork. They won’t fly today due to weather. Outstanding work by Ryan Carlson and Spencer Wheatley on the body recovery off Gobbler’s on Thursday. With questions regarding their areas of operation call 742-2800.
Listen to the advisory. Try our new streaming audio or podcastsUDOT highway avalanche control work info can be found HERE or by calling (801) 975-4838. Our statewide tollfree line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, option 8).For a list of avalanche classes, click HEREFor our classic text advisory click HERE.To sign up for automated e-mails of our graphical advisory click HEREWe appreciate all the great snowpack and avalanche observations we’ve been getting, so keep leaving us messages at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at uac@avalanche.org. (Fax 801-524-6301)The information in this advisory is from the U.S. 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 7:30 on Monday morning, and thanks for calling.
The information in this advisory is from the U.S. 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 Wasatch Cache National Forest, in partnership with: Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department of Emergency Services and Homeland Security and Salt Lake County
The post was created using an automated process maintained by First Tracks! Online.
SUMMARY >>> Danger by
ASPECT & ELEVATION
BOTTOM LINE
on slopes over 35 degrees
The danger is CONSIDERABLE today on steep wind drifted slopes and in areas that receive the most snow. All aspects at the higher elevations are likely to be sensitive today due to poor bonding with yesterday’s snow surface. The danger of triggering a slide into old snow is MODERATE but likely unsurvivable. It takes considerable route finding skills and self discipline to be wandering the backcountry these days.
Forecaster: Drew Hardesty LINKS: -Danger scale- -Encyclopedia- -Text only- CURRENT CONDITIONS >>> LINKS TO MORE INFO: NWS SNOW PAGESNOTEL MAP
Better late than never. Friday’s storm provided much needed relief and we have a few more good storms on the way. It’s already snowing through most of the northern mountains with 6-10” expected during the day. Warmer air pushing into the area has mountain temperatures into the teens and low twenties. The winds have shifted west and southwest and have increased to 25-30mph along the exposed ridgelines. The sunny aspects crusted with the sun, but the northerly aspects reminded me of the good old days.
RECENT AVALANCHES AND SNOWPACK INFO >>> LINKS TO MORE INFO
AVALANCHE LISTPHOTOSACCIDENTSSNOW PROFILES Explosive work in uncompacted terrain in upper Little Cottonwood and mitigation to protect the highways produced a couple good slides into old faceted snow up to 4’ deep on steep north and northeast facing terrain. Backcountry teams also found some excitement, particularly on steep sheltered terrain in drainages above Mill Creek. The intrepid Bob Athey dropped a cornice in upper West Porter, triggering a slide 24-30” deep and 80’ wide on a steep northeast facing slope at 9300’. Another up and coming observer remotely triggered a large avalanche (another photo) into old faceted snow adjacent to Little Water Peak on a 33 degree northeast facing slope at 9400’. Collapsing of new wind drifts and the facet/crust combo should still alert the backcountry wanderer to a still cranky pack.
AVALANCHE CONCERNS >>> WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND Likely
Unlikely Large
Small Increasing
Danger Same Decreasing
Danger over the next 24 hrs Clear and cold from yesterday hastened both the development of surface hoar and faceting of the snow surface, which won’t bode well for today’s anticipated snow and winds. Kobernik has a good photo here. If the winds and snow amounts verify, I’d expect very tender new wind drifts along the ridgelines and over steep breakovers. Remote and sympathetically triggered slides will be likely in the new snow, which should throw a wrench into classic route finding and runout zones. Drop a few cornices and move through lower angled slopes and test slopes to verify the initial hypothesis here.
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND Likely
Unlikely Large
Small Increasing
Danger Same Decreasing
Danger over the next 24 hrs Elsewhere in depth-hoar land, the good news is that they’re becoming more difficult to trigger. The bad news is that they are becoming more difficult to trigger. Like Tremper’s ‘monster out of the closet’ from a couple weeks ago, you may go slope after slope without any activity, only to find a superweak zone to trigger a hard slab into old snow 2-4’ deep. Their habitat remains on northwest through east facing slopes above about 8500’.
MOUNTAIN WEATHER >>> LINKS TO MORE INFO
UAC COMPILATION
NWS ZONAL FORECAST
SEASONAL Wx CHARTS A strong moist westerly flow will spread, at times, heavy snowfall in the mountains today with 6-10” in favored areas. The westerly winds should pick up into the 30mph range along the higher peaks with temps in the upper teens at 10,000’ and the upper 20’s at 8000’. We should get a quick break before a series of storms move in Tuesday through Friday.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>> I’ll be giving a talk at the Wild Rose in the avenues Tuesday night at 7pm. It’s a higher level talk on Forecasting the Different Avalanche Dragons. Bring your Crazy Creek Chair and a picnic basket.
Yesterday, the Wasatch Powderbird Guides flew in Cardiff, Silver, Grizzly, and American Fork. They won’t fly today due to weather. Outstanding work by Ryan Carlson and Spencer Wheatley on the body recovery off Gobbler’s on Thursday. With questions regarding their areas of operation call 742-2800.
Listen to the advisory. Try our new streaming audio or podcastsUDOT highway avalanche control work info can be found HERE or by calling (801) 975-4838. Our statewide tollfree line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, option 8).For a list of avalanche classes, click HEREFor our classic text advisory click HERE.To sign up for automated e-mails of our graphical advisory click HEREWe appreciate all the great snowpack and avalanche observations we’ve been getting, so keep leaving us messages at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at uac@avalanche.org. (Fax 801-524-6301)The information in this advisory is from the U.S. 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 7:30 on Monday morning, and thanks for calling.
The information in this advisory is from the U.S. 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 Wasatch Cache National Forest, in partnership with: Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department of Emergency Services and Homeland Security and Salt Lake County
The post was created using an automated process maintained by First Tracks! Online.