Avalanche forecast

Skyline

Issued Jan 5, 2021valid to Jan 6, 2021Utah Avalanche Center

Avalanche danger

Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline

Out of date — this forecast expired 6 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

New dense wind blown snow landing on top of old weak sugary snow keeps the avalanche danger in the CONSIDERABLE range on steep slopes. West north and east facing slopes in the mid and upper elevations hold the weakest old snow. There is still not really enough snow for many people to get into the steeper terrain but when there's a will, there's a way. Continue to use caution if you are screwing around in steep terrain.

Avalanche problems

Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Likely
Size
3
Here are the red flags for today:

Dense new snow

Strong wind

Poor underlying snowpack structure

Although we didn't add all that much new snow, the wind will blow this dense new snow and create scattered drifts. It will be dangerous where these drifts pile up on steep slopes that have areas with old weak snow.

The snowpack is not in good shape. The longer we go without adding significant amounts of snow, the weaker the existing shallow snowpack becomes. During fieldwork on Monday, my partner and I were noticing more and more places where the pack is becoming unsupportable to skiers. In other words, our skis are starting to punch through the entire pack. Not good. All this loose snow is bound to become troublesome if we ever get any real storms.

Snow and Weather

Current Conditions: A small storm is moving through this morning and the mountains have picked up about 3 inches of dense snow. The west wind is strong along the highest peaks. It doesn't look too windy in the mid elevations. Temperatures are in the low 20s.

Mountain Weather: We might see another inch or so of snow this morning as the storm moves out. High elevation wind will remain strong through the morning and decrease as the day goes on. Temperatures will cool into the teens by late this afternoon. The next small storm moves through Friday night and it's currently looking like it should bring 2 to 4 more inches of snow.