Boletín de aludes

Provo

Publicado el Mar 19, 2023válido hasta el Mar 20, 2023Utah Avalanche Center

Peligro de aludes

Alta montaña
Límite del bosque
Bajo el límite del bosque

Desactualizado: este boletín caducó 3 years ago. Estás viendo condiciones pasadas, no el boletín vigente.

Lo esencial

The avalanche danger is MODERATE at the mid and upper elevations on aspects facing northwest through northeast and southeast where you can trigger avalanches in recent and fresh slabs of wind-drifted snow. Watch for cracking as a sign of unstable conditions. The danger is LOW elsewhere.

Also watch for loose, wet avalanches if the snow surface becomes damp from warmer temperatures.

With heavy snowfall forecast beginning tonight, expect a rising avalanche danger on Monday and into this week.

Problemas de aludes

Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alta montaña
Límite del bosque
Bajo el límite del bosque
Probabilidad
Likely
Tamaño
2
Today's south/southwest winds will create fresh slabs of wind-drifted snow at the upper elevations and possibly on some exposed, mid-elevation slopes. Although these drifts should be shallow (less than 12") and not very wide (less than 50'), I am expecting any fresh drifts to be as sensitive as they were on Saturday. Watch for cracking in these recent and fresh wind drifts as an indication of instability.

Today's strong winds will also add heft and sensitivity to the already-immense cornices that adorn most mid and upper-elevation ridgelines. On Saturday, a cornice collapsed naturally onto a southwest aspect off Cardiff Peak, leaving large, dense blocks of snow below the slope (photo below). It is possible that a natural or human-triggered cornice fall could trigger a larger avalanche on the slope below. I would avoid traveling underneath any corniced ridgeline and stay well back from the edge when traveling along ridges with cornices.
Loose Wet
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alta montaña
Límite del bosque
Bajo el límite del bosque
Probabilidad
Unlikely
Tamaño
2
I'm unsure of how wet the snow surface will become today. On one hand, this past week's storm snow has seen three days of sunshine and has adjusted to the warming and today's stronger winds should keep the snow surface cool. However, today's temperatures will rise to well-above freezing and cloud cover may create some greenhousing. Watch for signs of unstable wet snow such as rollerballs and long-running sluffs of wet snow.

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Recent Activity

The southerly winds increased on Saturday morning and lasted through late afternoon, creating small pockets of sensitive wind drifts in exposed, upper elevation terrain. We received great observations from Mt. Nebo and Box Elder which noted sensitive wind drifts failing on weaker snow underneath. In the Salt Lake mountains, there were reports of small, skier-triggered slides in these fresh wind drifts, including two riders caught and carried on a west aspect at 10,200' on Red Baldy where one rider was carried 50' and a second rider carried 150' in a slide that was only 3" deep and 80' wide (photo below). There was also one natural avalanche 18" deep observed in upper Little Cottonwood as the slope was being actively wind-loaded, and a natural cornice fall in Cardiff Fork.

Snow and Weather

This morning: Skies are partly cloudy and temperatures are in the upper teens F. Winds are from the south/southwest. Between about 9,500' and 10,500', wind speeds are averaging in the teens with gusts into the upper 20's mph. Above 10,500', winds are averaging in the 20's with gusts in the 30's and 40's mph.

Today: Temperatures will rise into the upper 30's F, although it will feel cooler in wind-exposed locations where the south/southwest winds will average in the teens with gusts in the upper 20's mph at mid elevations and average in the 20's with gusts in the 30's and 40's mph at the upper elevations. Skies will become partly to mostly-cloudy.

This Week: Apparently, the mountains didn't get the calendar alert that Monday is the first day of Spring. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning beginning at 9 pm tonight and lasting through Tuesday morning with snowfall totals exceeding 2 feet by Tuesday likely. A brief break followed by a second storm later this week.

Additional Info

For those considering visiting the alpine terrain in the southern Wasatch, Mark Staples provides an assessment of the current snowpack and how it is not as straightforward as we may expect.

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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.

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