Avalanche forecast

Ogden

Issued Mar 4, 2024valid to Mar 5, 2024Utah Avalanche Center

Avalanche danger

Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline

Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago.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

Highlights

A MODERATE avalanche danger exists on many steep wind drifted slopes across the compass. You can trigger 1-2' thick soft and hard slabs of wind drifted snow even along the low and mid-elevation bands in exposed terrain. Note that many drifts will be found in unusual locations. Cornices, too, are becoming unruly and may break back well beyond the ridgelines.

Avalanche problems

Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Possible
Size
2
You can still trigger soft or pockety hard slabs of wind drifted snow 1-2' deep on a variety of aspects and elevations today. Note the smooth and rounded texture of the wind drifted soft slab below.

It should be noted that while ridgetop winds were strong from a westerly direction, these swirling and eddying winds deposited many slabs onto westerly facing aspects in the mid and low elevations. These soft slabs will be increasingly stubborn, but may break out above you. These soft slabs may fail on a thin layer of graupel just above the March 1st dust layer, or along any density break within the storm snow.

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Recent Activity

Ski area avalanche teams reported triggering shallow soft slabs of wind drifted snow with ski cuts and explosives along the higher elevations. Smaller soft slabs were triggered in the mid-elevations.

Snow and Weather

Skies are overcast.

Winds are from the west-southwest, blowing 15-20mph with gusts to 30mph. Along the highest ridgelines, anemometers are spinning 25-30mph with gusts to 40mph.

Mountain temperatures are in the single digits to low teens.

We recorded just a trace of new snow overnight and storm totals over the weekend are roughly 8-14", comprising a little over an inch of snow-water-equivalent. Strong winds from the northwest and particularly the southwest have wreaked havoc on the riding conditions and likely left a thin layer of dust , buried now about a foot down.

For today, we'll have light snowfall that may add up to an additional 2-4". Winds will blow from the west at 20-25mph. Mountain temperatures will remain cold in the single digits and low teens. The week looks unsettled and messy with a couple weak disturbances that may offer an inch of snow here and there.

Jerry Roberts 1948-2023

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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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