Salt Lake
Lawinengefahr
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
Kernpunkte
The avalanche danger is LOW on all aspects and elevations. Remember LOW danger does not mean there is NO danger in the mountains today. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. Even small avalanches in steep sustained terrain can be fatal if you're taken for a ride. Use safe travel protocol by only exposing one person at a time to avalanche terrain. Carry rescue gear and keep an eye on your partner.
Recent Activity
One significant avalanche happened yesterday in Broads Fork. This was a large glide avalanche that released off the upper rock slabs taking out the entire seasons snowpack. Mark White spotted this yesterday and reported that it put debris 20' feet deep of snow, ice and rock that traveled close to the valley bottom. Check out his observation HERE.
Photo: Diving Board glide avalanche by Mark White.
Special Announcement
NEW UAC Podcast - The Art of Storytelling Through Film - A Conversation with Trent Meisenheimer check it out HERE.
Join Drew Hardesty at the new Black Diamond Store at Trolley Square at 7:00 PM on January 27th for a Fireside Chat on Expert Intuition and the Avalanche Problem.
Snow and Weather
Under mostly cloudy skies and some fog the mountain temperatures hover in the upper teens °F at 10,000'. Lower in the canyon (7,500') the temperatures are in the mid to upper 20's °F. Winds are from the northwest and are 5-10 mph with the occasional gust into the low 20's.
For today, we can expect light winds from the northwest with speeds of 5-10 mph with some gusts reaching 30 mph at 11,000'. We will be mostly cloudy this morning before thinning the clouds by late morning and into the early afternoon. In some places there will be fog and other places could see clearing with some sun possible. Green-housing (warming on all aspects) could be a player this afternoon.
The best snow and riding conditions will be found at upper elevations or above about 8,500' in elevation where the new snow is surfy and fast. Elevations below about 8,500' became damp and wet yesterday afternoon and on our exit it was like we had velcro on the bottom of our skis.
Our Week in Review which summarizes significant avalanche and weather events from this past week has been published. Click HERE.
Additional Info
Wondering what happened to the Persistent Weak Layer problem? well, truthfully it's still there and one needs to be aware of this layer and extra caution is advised if you're traveling in very steep, shallow, outlying terrain. It's most prominent on slopes that face SE, S, SW and west that have a much shallower snowpack.
It's hard to ignore the very large avalanche that was triggered in Mill B South a week ago. Drew Hardesty and I went to look at this avalanche yesterday and you can find our observation HERE. Mark Staples went and looked at another avalanche in Dry Fork yesterday and has a great snowpit profile of these crusts. Much of the snowpack across the Wasatch range is deep and strong and this layer is not a concern.
Travel Advice: Ride the north half of the compass where the snowpack is deep and strong. Avoid steep southerly aspects that have a shallow snowpack.
Photo: Mill B South weak layer and crust combination. This was a west facing slope at 10,000' in elevation.
General Announcements
CLICK HERE FOR MORE GENERAL INFO AND FAQ
This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.