Salt Lake
Avalanche danger
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
Highlights
There is a generally LOW avalanche danger in the backcountry.
It will be possible to trigger shallow loose dry sluffs in steep northerly terrain. Also keep an eye on blowing and drifting snow along the most exposed ridgelines where you may find new shallow soft slabs.
Special Announcement
This morning: In the Murdock Peak area along the north end of the Park City ridgeline, the PCMR Ski Patrol will be doing explosives work on PCMR property. Please avoid that area.
Recent Activity
On the shady aspects, the snow surfaces have become so weak and cohesionless, it's easy to initiate loose dry "facet" sluffs in steep terrain. These are not to be taken lightly, as they have enough "oomph" and mass to knock a rider off their feet, carry them over cliffbands, into trees, or possibly bury them in a steep-walled terrain trap,
Read recent observations from the backcountry HERE
Snow and Weather
Skies are partly cloudy. Mountain temperatures are in the mid to upper teens. Winds picked up out of the south-southwest and are blowing 10-15mph with gusts to 20. Along the most exposed ridgelines, hourly wind speeds are clocking 25-30mph with gusts to near 50. These wind speeds should start to diminish soon.
For today, we'll have increasing clouds, temps in the 20s, and winds from the south, blowing 15-20mph.
The Outlook: Yes, Virginia, there really is a pattern change. We may even see some flurries tonight. It's a messy forecast, but we'll see off and on light, low density snowfall through early Saturday that may add up to 5-10"+ of new. Maybe more.
More storms on tap....
Additional Info
All that glitters is not gold. Today's weak snow surfaces will be the next buried weak layer with the upcoming storms. UAC Director Mark Staples has a great observation from the Moffit Peak area in the Uintas describing the current set-up.
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.