Lawinenlagebericht

Provo

Veröffentlicht am Dec 17, 2025gültig bis Dec 18, 2025Utah Avalanche Center

Lawinengefahr

Hochgebirge
Waldgrenze
Unterhalb der Waldgrenze

Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 8 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Avalanche danger is LOW, but it's not your average green day. It is unlikely but not impossible to trigger an avalanche in high, northerly terrain above 9,000' this morning where weak, old snow makes up the majority of the snowpack. If triggered, these unlikely slides can break over 1 foot deep. Small amounts of new snow will also be loading on slick, icy crusts today where it can run farther and faster than expected on all aspects.

A storm today is forecast to produce only modest precipitation in the Provo zone, but if the storm over-produces, the danger can rise to MODERATE by the end of the day.

Lawinenprobleme

Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Hochgebirge
Waldgrenze
Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
Wahrscheinlichkeit
Unlikely
Größe
2
There is a widespread persistent weak layer (PWL) of faceted snow on northerly-facing slopes at mid- and upper elevations. If the storm today overproduces and builds a slab on top of our weak snowpack structure, expect to be able to trigger avalanches that break widely and deeply, potentially to the ground. Most of the snowpack is currently faceted, meaning it's unlikely but not impossible to find a slab on top of the weak, old snow to trigger an avalanche this morning—especially in high, northerly terrain above 9,000 feet.

In wind-sheltered areas, particularly at mid-elevations, be aware of the potential for new snow to build into slabs and break wider than you may expect on these crusts.

Recent Activity

No backcountry avalanches have been reported in over a week.

Snow and Weather

This morning, a strong Pacific jet is riding in on strong winds out of the west—but should only graze the Provo zone. Anemometers are showing hourly wind speeds in the 20s with gusts to near 40mph. Mountain temperatures hover around freezing under broken skies.

Today, there's a chance for some modest precipitation to fall by the afternoon. Steady 15-30mph winds at ridgetops will blow throughout the day, gusting into the 40s mph. Snow levels will start above 8,500' before dropping to around 6,000' by the afternoon. There's a lot of uncertainty in precip totals, timing, and snow lines, but the most favored, high, alpine areas will only be seeing up to 0.5" of H2O, with a mix of snow and rain by the end of the day.

Looking ahead, this is the start of a pattern shift towards unsettled weather with moist air intrusion from the jet stream. Expect a weaker pulse on Thursday before more water arrives over the weekend...however, snow lines are uncertain in the models. Cross your fingers.

Gary Larson shows us communication isn't always that simple.

Let's talk about avalanche danger, and the boxes we use to communicate it. The fact of the matter is that you shouldn't get too focused on the color of the rose today. This morning, it is unlikely that you can trigger an avalanche‚ meaning the danger is LOW. The faceted snowpack, with a variety of crusts, needs a new slab on top to produce avalanches. We opted to drop the danger, even with active weather coming in, as we felt this was most accurate for the Provo zone. However, if the storm overproduces, we'd like to emphasize that the danger could rise to MODERATE, producing a new slab on top of our weak existing snow. This storm in particular has a lot of uncertainty. Not seeing the storm produce? The danger hasn't risen. Getting blasted by snow and wind, seeing slabs of new snow develop? It's on the rise. We're forced to pick a color, but there's at least a couple (dozen) ways to communicate the same message.

General Announcements

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.

Observations and Avalanches

Backcountry Emergency Procedures