Avalanche forecast

Salt Lake

Issued Mar 11, 2024valid to Mar 12, 2024Utah Avalanche Center

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Avalanche danger

Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline

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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Most terrain has LOW avalanche danger.

Areas of MODERATE, however, exist for pockety hard slabs of wind drifted snow, found primarily in the upper elevations.

Continue to avoid the overhanging cornices adorning the ridgelines.

Avalanche problems

Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Possible
Size
2
Pockety hard slabs of wind drifted snow can still be triggered on a variety of aspects, even (perhaps especially) well off the ridgelines. Most of these will fall in the "upper" elevation bands at and above 9500', but a few may be found in the mid elevation bands. Hard slabs are often very smooth and rounded and have a nasty habit of releasing above you. It may be that you trigger them when you're off the fat, pillowy part of the slab and now onto the thinner, tapered part of the teardrop. Remember that with soft slabs, you're "in" the slab; with hard slabs, you're "on" the slab. Extra caution is required.

(Jim Conway graphics)

Recent Activity

Ski areas reported no avalanche activity, but I can report no fewer than four skier triggered slides in the backcountry yesterday. The relentless winds have deposited pockets of hard and soft slab across a variety of aspects, even well off the ridgelines and two skiers were caught and carried in separate incidents while ascending. Some of these have very nice write-ups. The list below:

Airplane Peak - NE facing at 10,300' 6" deep and 200' wide (photo)

Bells Canyon - East facing at 9600' reported 1-2' deep 100' wide

Big Willow - NW facing at 9400' 1' deep 60' wide

White Pine - Northwest facing at 9800', estimated 8-18" deep and 50' wide

Unsure of locations? Check Steve Achelis's Wasatch Backcountry Ski map

Snow and Weather

Skies are mostly cloudy.

Winds are from the southwest, with mid and upper elevation anemometers registering wind speeds of 25mph with gusts to 35.* Mountain temperatures are in the mid to upper 20s. A weak going-through-the-motions "storm" will cast off a snowflake or two today. Winds should lose steam by the afternoon hours; temps will be in the 20s.

All eyes are on what I'm calling a Good News and Bad News Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday storm. The GOOD news: A slow moving Pacific storm will bring cooler temps and perhaps 12-18" of snow to the mountains. The BAD news: strong east to northeast winds follow for Wednesday night to Thursday night and we finally wriggle free of the grasp of this nuisance of a weather system by Friday. With this much wind (particularly from the east), it's probably not even worth the trouble.

(*In last Tuesday's forecast, I said One more day of wind, people. I did not mean for the rest of the season.).

Backcountry conditions: Travel is easy but snow conditions are a bit tired and worn. It's still possible to find some soft snow that's not sun or wind damaged, but you'll have to be sneaky. Still, coverage is excellent with 8-12' of snow on the ground in the upper Cottonwoods and 6-8' on the ground along the upper reaches of the Park City ridgeline.

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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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