Avalanche forecast

Provo

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The Avalanche Danger is a scary MODERATE for triggering a large, deep avalanche in isolated places - on upper elevation slopes northwest through southeasterly. The danger is also MODERATE for triggering wind drifts at the upper elevations. But our snowpack is not simple, and not the same everywhere. Even in LOW DANGER TERRAIN avalanches can be triggered in very isolated places. Near ridge line and wind loaded, thinner snowpack areas are more suspect.

Wet Loose slides: the avalanche danger is LOW this morning while the snowpack is frozen, but may increase to MODERATE this afternoon if the snow become damp or wet where you are. This includes wet snow at the low elevations and avalanche run outs in the heat of the day.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    Avalanche danger is LOW this morning for wet loose slides while the snowpack is frozen, but may increase to MODERATE this afternoon depending on the balance of clouds, wind and sun. If the snow where you are - on the sunny slopes or mid and low elevation shady slopes - gets soft and damp, roller balls start, or you can trigger small wet loose sluffs - it is time to get off of any steep slope with damp snow and out from under the steep, sunny slopes. Avoid travel in and below the bottom of steep, southerly facing gullies.

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    The days of persistent northerly winds have done the most damage in the high alpine terrain. Slopes are wind stripped and wind loaded, and drifts can be found on almost any aspect - to the lee of ridge lines and cross-loaded into couloirs, gullies and mid slope break overs. The hard slabs of wind drifted snow may be stubborn, and the key is to identify and avoid any of the rounded, smooth or scalloped drifts on steep slopes, especially in unforgiving terrain, such as above cliffs and trees.

    Winds cranking along Box Elder peak, blowing snow. Coyne photo.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    4

    It is not a simple snowpack, and there is lots of variation. The almost daily deep, upper elevation, explosive triggered slides mean there remains a low-probability of triggering a high-consequence avalanche breaking 2 to 5 feet deep on a sugary faceted weak layer. The most likely spot would be on an upper elevation, northwest through southeasterly facing slope, that is wind loaded over a rocky area with a shallower snowpack. Unsupported slopes above cliffs, steep rollovers, or very steep slopes are also more suspect. You may trigger one of these hard slabs when entering on the edges, where the snowpack is thinner.

    Another avalanche spotted to the south, from Payson Canyon, that ran during the big storms. Darce Trotter photo.

Special Announcement

Two Utah men died in avalanches on Friday - Tommy Hawkins of Layton, Utah (snowmobiling near upper Palisades Lake, Idaho) and Scott Pehrson, of Monticello, UT (snowmobiling in the eastern La Sals, UT) We offer our deep sympathy to the family and friends of these two men. In Utah, a huge thanks to members from San Juan and Grand County Search and Rescues, Utah Department of Public Safety, Wasatch Powder Bird Guides and professional avalanche rescue dogs and handlers from Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, Alta, and Park City Ski areas who conducted recovery efforts.

Recent Activity

Avalanche control teams continue to trigger large dangerous avalanches breaking in old snow (near) the ground with explosives. More stubborn, there were two triggered at 10,500' on southeast facing slopes. A few wet loose sluffs ran naturally on steep, south facing slopes in Little Cottonwood, at the mid elevations. An great observation from American Fork HERE.

Slide on a southeast facing slope, at 10,500'.

Snow and Weather

Under partly cloudy skies, enjoy one of the quietest mornings in a while - the northwesterly winds have quieted to only 5 to 15 mph at most stations, with even the highest peaks to the north only averaging 25 mph. Temperatures are in the twenties this morning. A midst reports of very wind damaged snow, it may be possible to find a bit of dense, loose powder on shady wind sheltered slopes. Most southerlies will have breakable crusts this morning, softening later in the day.

Today, partly cloudy skies with temperatures warming into the upper 30s at 8000’ and upper 20s at 10000’. The northwesterly winds may once again increase this afternoon, especially along the high ridge lines, where averages of 30 to 40 mph, with gusts to 50 are possible. Speeds at the mid elevations should remain in the 5 to 15 mph range.

General Announcements

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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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