Salt Lake

The avalanche hazard is generally Low, but there are enough concerns - especially with unpredictable spring weather - that warrant an overall Moderate hazard. The primary avalanche issues include recent storm snow as well as recent and new wind drifts. Additionally, if the snow surface warms today, avalanches involving wet snow are possible. Have a flexible plan that allows you to quickly respond to changing conditions.

Daily early morning avalanche forecasts will end Sunday, April 14. We will issue early morning forecasts on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Easter weekend (April 19-21). Throughout the rest of April, we will issue intermittent updates with any snowfall or other significant weather events, and we will continue posting observations.

Drew Hardesty just penned another wonderful blog piece, Meditations on Skiing the No-Fall Zone.

Our final podcast for the season has been released HERE. Low Danger - A Story in 5 Parts. Thanks much to our producer Benjamin Bombard and our sponsors Arva, Prival, and 2nd Tracks Sports.

Most backcountry observations from Thursday reported a generally stable snowpack. However, one slide that caught my attention was in Mineral Fork on the northeast-facing run GB No that failed 18” down on a density inversion. This slide was 150’ wide, and ran 500’ vertical - observation. Other slides from Thursday include Scottie's Bowl (observation) which may have also run on the density inversion, possibly stepping down to the old, crusted surface. A smaller slide was also reported from Butler Basin (observation).

Be sure to read our Week in Review as you make plans for today and this weekend:

Skies are overcast and mountain temperatures are in the teens. Northwest winds increased for a 4-6 hour period late yesterday afternoon and into the evening, with gusts in the 20’s and 30’s mph along upper elevation ridges, but have since relaxed, and are now light and < 10 mph.

In the winter that continues to provide, many mountain locations picked up several inches of snow late yesterday afternoon, with storm totals since Wednesday of over 3’ in upper Little Cottonwood, 2’ in Big Cottonwood, and 12-18” along the Park City ridgeline. Riding conditions are brilliant.

For today, expect temperatures to rise into the 20's and low 30's F. Winds will be out of the northwest, and generally light, with gusts in the teens. Snow showers are possible throughout the day, with isolated areas picking up 2-3" of new snow. Skies should remain mostly-cloudy, and thunder is possible, especially during the afternoon.

Spring is here and it is time to adjust our travel. Learn what to watch for during spring avalanche conditions when the snow becomes wet.

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.