Utah Avalanche Center
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December 18, 2006 - 6:39 am Most terrain has a LOW avalanche danger. Steep wind drifted slopes will have a MODERATE danger where human triggered avalanches will still be possible. These areas are more pronounced on upper elevation southwest through north and northeast facing terrain. Isolated steep areas will still have some sluff potential as well. The Ogden area mountains will have a mostly LOW danger today.
Drew Hardesty
Links: Avalanche List Photos Profile List Weather Links Encyclopedia 24 Hrs Here are a couple pieces of good news: time, settlement and the lack of wind will have fostered a great increase in stability of the new snow and all but a few of the remaining drifts will have settled out. Secondly, the slow addition of weight and bulk to the snowpack will likely help to strengthen some of the buried faceted snow in the mid and lower red-light districts of the snowpack. It’ll be something to monitor nonetheless.
If you’re heading out today, take time to work into the steeper terrain. Drop cornices, jump on test slopes, move from island of safety to island of safety, and do a couple shovel shear or tap tests to get a feel for the bonding of the newer snow.
Most of our observers prudently stayed in sheltered, low angle terrain, but avalanche control teams picked off numerous soft slabs up to a foot deep and 100’ wide. They were most sensitive in the morning with a 20-30mph easterly wind blowing, but by about midday, most of the instabilities had settled out. Instabilities like these are manageable, and like a novice poker player, show their hand early on the first go-around.
Now that the white dust has settled and the canopy of stars blankets the early morning Wasatch, let’s take a look at storm totals across the range. The Logan and Ogden mountains picked up 4-6”, the Park City mountains 15-22”, the Cottonwoods 20”, and the Provo mountains a desperately needed 20-25”. Water amounts came in at an inch to an inch and a half, producing densities of less than 10%. The second wave came in a bit heavier, producing inverted riding and trail-breaking with a bit of collapsing here and there. Temps have bottomed out to the single digits and winds, thankfully, are light and variable.
Skies are clear with expected highs in the teens today. With the closed Low centered over the AZ/CA border, expect easterly winds to blow 20mph along the ridgelines. The Low is the main feature affecting the southwest, and is forecast to move easterly today and tomorrow, kicking a good amount of moisture into southern Utah. We’ll likely get some spillover clouds. High pressure builds in for the week with a weak storm set for late Thursday.
The Wasatch Powderbird Guides will be in American Fork and Snake Creek today.
Listen to the advisory. Try our new streaming audio or podcastsOur new, state wide tollfree hotline is 1-888-999-4019.(For early morning detailed avalanche activity report hit 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 HERE
We appreciate any snowpack and avalanche observations you have, so please leave us a message at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at uac@avalanche.org (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.
Brett Kobernik will update this advisory by 7:30 on Tuesday morning.
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
DISCLAIMER: Above is information on each factor affecting todays' danger rating. All factors must be considered to develop a backcountry travel plan that will reduce your risk.
The post was created using an automated process maintained by First Tracks! Online.
Drew Hardesty
Links: Avalanche List Photos Profile List Weather Links Encyclopedia 24 Hrs Here are a couple pieces of good news: time, settlement and the lack of wind will have fostered a great increase in stability of the new snow and all but a few of the remaining drifts will have settled out. Secondly, the slow addition of weight and bulk to the snowpack will likely help to strengthen some of the buried faceted snow in the mid and lower red-light districts of the snowpack. It’ll be something to monitor nonetheless.
If you’re heading out today, take time to work into the steeper terrain. Drop cornices, jump on test slopes, move from island of safety to island of safety, and do a couple shovel shear or tap tests to get a feel for the bonding of the newer snow.
Most of our observers prudently stayed in sheltered, low angle terrain, but avalanche control teams picked off numerous soft slabs up to a foot deep and 100’ wide. They were most sensitive in the morning with a 20-30mph easterly wind blowing, but by about midday, most of the instabilities had settled out. Instabilities like these are manageable, and like a novice poker player, show their hand early on the first go-around.
Now that the white dust has settled and the canopy of stars blankets the early morning Wasatch, let’s take a look at storm totals across the range. The Logan and Ogden mountains picked up 4-6”, the Park City mountains 15-22”, the Cottonwoods 20”, and the Provo mountains a desperately needed 20-25”. Water amounts came in at an inch to an inch and a half, producing densities of less than 10%. The second wave came in a bit heavier, producing inverted riding and trail-breaking with a bit of collapsing here and there. Temps have bottomed out to the single digits and winds, thankfully, are light and variable.
Skies are clear with expected highs in the teens today. With the closed Low centered over the AZ/CA border, expect easterly winds to blow 20mph along the ridgelines. The Low is the main feature affecting the southwest, and is forecast to move easterly today and tomorrow, kicking a good amount of moisture into southern Utah. We’ll likely get some spillover clouds. High pressure builds in for the week with a weak storm set for late Thursday.
The Wasatch Powderbird Guides will be in American Fork and Snake Creek today.
Listen to the advisory. Try our new streaming audio or podcastsOur new, state wide tollfree hotline is 1-888-999-4019.(For early morning detailed avalanche activity report hit 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 HERE
We appreciate any snowpack and avalanche observations you have, so please leave us a message at (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, or email us at uac@avalanche.org (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.
Brett Kobernik will update this advisory by 7:30 on Tuesday morning.
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
DISCLAIMER: Above is information on each factor affecting todays' danger rating. All factors must be considered to develop a backcountry travel plan that will reduce your risk.
The post was created using an automated process maintained by First Tracks! Online.