Avalanche forecast

Salt Lake

Issued Apr 4, 2025valid to Apr 5, 2025Utah Avalanche Center

Avalanche danger

Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline

Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The avalanche danger is MODERATE on all aspects in the upper elevations where avalanches involving long-running sluffs and shallow soft slabs of both dry and wet snow are possible.

I'm uncertain how warming may affect the snow today - watch for rapid changes to the snow during any period of warming which may quickly lead to a rise in the avalanche danger.

If you choose to enter big terrain, watch for parties below you and only expose one rider at a time on a steep slope.

Avalanche problems

Storm Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Possible
Size
2
The 18-36" of new snow we've received this week may be reactive today in the following ways:

1. Dry Snow: Sluffing and shallow soft slabs of new snow and recent wind drifts on steeper terrain, failing in different density inversions within the storm snow.

2. Wet snow: Although strong sunshine is not expected today, some sunshine may create sluffing in wet snow. Warming temperatures - including "green-housing" - may also make a more cohesive damp slab that fails in the cold, dry snow underneath. In my field work yesterday morning, we initially encountered loose, dry sluffing in the cold snow, but within 30 minutes, enough warming occurred to create a more cohesive slab with some propagation.

Avalanche activity today will be more pronounced in the upper Cottonwoods which received up to a foot of new snow since yesterday.

Special Announcement

Motorized Users—Please consider taking this 5-minute survey to help researchers better understand avalanche education participation and safety preparedness. Responses are anonymous and confidential.

A huge thanks to all who attended our event last night at Level Crossing Brewing Company on the "Science of Beer and Snow". I was excited to talk about our season-long PWL issues and also hear about the chemistry of brewing beer - they each involve water! The UAC is grateful and proud to be part of this community.

Recent Activity

Heavy snowfall yesterday afternoon in the upper Cottonwoods - with rates of 3-4" of snow per hour - with human-triggered avalanches and a natural avalanche cycle during the afternoon. Avalanche activity involved sluffing and shallow, soft slabs running within the storm snow. Dave Kelly was in Cardiff Fork on Thursday, and his photo below shows the type of natural avalanche activity that occurred during heavy snowfall.

We received several other observations from Thursday.

It has been a snowy week, and Nikki describes it in more detail in the Week in Review.

Snow and Weather

This Morning: Skies are partly cloudy and temperatures are 12° - 20° F. Winds are from the north/northeast and light, less than 10 mph, with gusts up to 15 mph at the highest elevations. Another 1-3" of new snow fell overnight, with 24-hour snow totals of 8-12" containing 0.25-0.5" of water. 18-36" of snow has fallen since April 1.

Today: Partly sunny skies this morning, with partly cloudy conditions this afternoon and a stray snow shower. Temperatures will rise into the low to mid 30's F. Winds will be from the northeast and increase slightly this afternoon, with gusts in the 20's mph at the upper elevations.

Extended Forecast: The unsettled weather from this past week will drift to our east today, with sunshine and warming temperatures arriving this weekend.

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.

Observations and Avalanches

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