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
“keeping
you on top”
AVALANCHE ADVISORY
Wednesday,
April 02, 2008 7:30 am
Good morning, this is
Current Conditions:
With warm air
advection overnight, scattered snow showers layed
down a little fresh snow with Alta recording 4 inches new. It doesn’t look like the
Snow and Avalanche Discussion:
Every observation I
received from Tuesday included at least some mention of minor avalanche
activity mostly in the form of skier released shallow soft slabs. (PHOTOS) These were most pronounced on the northerly
half of the compass in areas that were drifted in from the recent winds. In Porter Fork a very trustworthy observer
reported a soft slab in mid elevation terrain that was not wind loaded. Near Mt Ogden, a backcountry observer
reported skier initiated damp avalanching that would run up to 700 feet piling
up debris 4 feet deep in gully bottoms.
For today we will want
to watch for lingering instabilities in the form of small soft slabs as well as
sluffing that may occur with the new snow.
This will be another day where these issues are very manageable for
people with some backcountry traveling experience. Place slope cuts before diving in.
While I don’t expect
much wet activity today we need to keep alert on this front also. Cold dry snow is very susceptible to warming. Roller balls and point releases are
precursory clues to more significant activity.
Push on the snow and use slope cuts to see if you can initiate damp snow
slides anywhere you notice the snow becoming damp.
Bottom Line for the
Most areas have a LOW avalanche danger this morning but there is a pockety MODERATE avalanche danger on slopes steeper than about 35
degrees, especially where wind drifted; human triggered sluffs and soft slabs
are still possible but won’t pose much threat.
Watch for the avalanche danger to rise to MODERATE
in areas where the newest snow becomes damp if the weather dictates. Stay out of gully bottoms especially in areas
where people may be above you.
Mountain Weather:
We’re situated between
a trof to our north and a closed low off the
Announcements
Our
partners, the Friends of the
The Wasatch Powderbird
Guides flew in
If you want to
get this avalanche advisory e-mailed to you daily click HERE.
UDOT highway avalanche control work info can be
found by calling (801) 975-4838.
Our statewide tollfree line is 1-888-999-4019 (early morning, option 8).
Watch video tututorials and fieldwork from UAC staff at our YouTube
channel.
The UAC depends
on contributions from users like you to support our work. To find out
more about how you can support our efforts to continue providing the avalanche
forecasting and education that you expect please visit our Friends page.
If you see any avalanches or interesting snow conditions, please leave us a
message at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at [email protected].
(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 Thursday morning.