Avalanche danger is LOW overall. Isolated areas of new shallow soft slabs may form from easterly winds today, along with widespread hard slabs from last week's strong winds, mostly on north to east-facing slopes. These hard slabs sit atop weak faceted snow and can release unpredictably, sometimes allowing travel far onto the slope without signs of instability. Be cautious on ridgelines and wind-exposed terrain.
On north and east-facing slopes, the likelihood of triggering 1-3' deep avalanches in a persistent weak layer is low, but the structure still exists.
A LOW danger doesn’t mean no danger—pay attention to changing conditions.
Easterly winds in the Wasatch can create tricky avalanche conditions. Right now, there are two main wind-related issues:
Triggering an avalanche that fails in the buried facets and depth hoar near the ground is becoming increasingly unlikely, and this avalanche problem is close to dormancy.
The most suspect terrain is steep, thin, rocky areas, where an avalanche could fail in the deeply buried persistent weak layer. Near-surface facets beneath hard wind slabs are now a concern, creating a new weak layer to monitor in the short term, especially during the next loading event.
No new avalanches were reported from the backcountry yesterday, but observers in the Central Wasatch did report a weak snow surface in many areas, with loose facet sluffs, or "facetlanches," easily triggered.
Find all avalanches from the past few days on the observations and avalanche page.
Urgent battery replacement required for anyone who received batteries from one of our participating "Batteries for Beacons" shops. Please review the "Batteries for Beacons" replacement notice on our blog. Batteries distributed through our "Batteries for Beacons" program this year have shown to be inadequate length.
Join the UAC at Deer Valley on January 30th for the 2nd Annual Blizzard Ball Gala. Bruce Tremper, the Former Director of the Utah Avalanche Center, will deliver the keynote address.
Under clear skies, a temperature inversion is in effect, with trailhead temperatures in the low teens and ridgetops in the mid-20s °F. Winds have shifted easterly but remain calm, with gusts below 30 mph at the highest ridgelines.
Today will be clear and sunny, with temperatures rising into the mid-to-upper 30s°F. East-southeasterly winds will increase, averaging 10 mph at mid-elevations and 15–30 mph with gusts up to 35 mph at higher elevations.
A storm may arrive late Friday through the weekend, bringing significant moisture. However, expect heavy, wet snow with higher snow levels, especially on Sunday.
Check out this insightful blog by Paige, Jeremy, and Drew where they break down the complexities of Persistent Weak Layer (PWL) avalanches, why thin and rocky areas are especially dangerous, and how to manage the risks effectively in the backcountry.
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.
