Utah Avalanche Center
New member
February 25, 2007 - 6:58 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 yesterdays 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. Fridays storm provided much needed relief and we have a few more good storms on the way. Its 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 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.
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 theyre becoming more difficult to trigger. The bad news is that they are becoming more difficult to trigger. Like Trempers 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 20s at 8000. We should get a quick break before a series of storms move in Tuesday through Friday.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>> Ill be giving a talk at the Wild Rose in the avenues Tuesday night at 7pm. Its 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 wont fly today due to weather. Outstanding work by Ryan Carlson and Spencer Wheatley on the body recovery off Gobblers 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 weve 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 yesterdays 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. Fridays storm provided much needed relief and we have a few more good storms on the way. Its 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 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.
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 theyre becoming more difficult to trigger. The bad news is that they are becoming more difficult to trigger. Like Trempers 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 20s at 8000. We should get a quick break before a series of storms move in Tuesday through Friday.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS >>> Ill be giving a talk at the Wild Rose in the avenues Tuesday night at 7pm. Its 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 wont fly today due to weather. Outstanding work by Ryan Carlson and Spencer Wheatley on the body recovery off Gobblers 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 weve 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.