Avalanche forecast

Salt Lake

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The Avalanche Danger is CONSIDERABLE on all mid and upper elevation slopes and MODERATE on all low elevation slopes. Human triggered avalanches are likely on slopes steeper than about 30 degrees, especially those with wind drifts. Natural avalanches are possible, so avoid travel on and below steep slopes and in avalanche runout zones.

The Wasatch mountains have an amazing variety of terrain - those with excellent avalanche and route finding skills will find great turning and riding in untracked snow on safer low angle, wind sheltered slopes, with no steep slopes above.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    3

    Another major wind event yesterday, overnight and continuing today has drifted snow at the mid and higher elevations into another layer of sensitive wind slabs. Drifts can be found on almost any aspect, wherever the wind slows and drops it’s snow. The dense, smooth drifts are to the lee of ridgelines and cross-loaded into couloirs, gullies and mid slope break overs. Wind slabs on the rime crust may be extra sensitive. Drop in elevation and seek wind sheltered slopes.

    Below - A triggered wind slab picking up snow and turning into a long running slide in Wilson Chute, Matt Asay photo

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    4

    The last 24 hours of wind plus snow equals another major loading event, especially at the upper elevations. The snowpack is groaning under 4 - 6” of water, and the stress placed on the buried faceted weak layers is tremendous, and pushing the weak layers over the edge. The few reported large slides breaking into old snow are the canaries in the coal mine. While activity in the backcountry has been hidden by clouds and covered by snow, I expect a few similar large, long running slides breaking into old facets have or could occur in the high alpine of the Cottonwoods and the Provo area mountains. Avoid travel in runout zones beneath steep slopes, large peaks and the bottoms of gullies.

    In addition, mid elevation terrain and terrain outside the upper Cottonwoods remains especially suspect, with their own mid pack weakness and basal facets. Shallower snowpack areas are a likely place to trigger slides or a smaller new snow slide or wind drift may “step down”, breaking on one of these deeper weak layers.

    Photo: one of a couple “indicator slides” that have released. This was a large avalanche that happened Monday night naturally at Snowbird on a wind loaded slope, approximately 6 to 8 feet deep.

Special Announcement

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Recent Activity

Numerous new snow and wind slab avalanches were reported, including Depth Hoar Bowl in Alexandra, Porter Fork and Wilson Chute. The Bonneville Shoreline trail was hit by a small slide on January 22nd. Avalanche activity from Bountiful through Provo this past week has included slides on SE facing slopes.

Another natural large avalanche off Cascade, yesterday, January 23rd, spotted from the valley. Video taken from Orem by E. Miller and provided by KSL News.

Snow and Weather

Upper Little Cottonwood received about 10” of new snow, with Big Cottonwood, mid elevations and the Park City side in the 2 to 5” range. There is a thin rime crust near the bottom of the new snow, and the snow is a bit top heavy in places.

Winds once again stole the headlines yesterday - the upper elevations in the Cottonwoods (and presumably Provo area mountains) got blasted for hours yesterday with 50 to 55 mph west to northwesterly winds, gusting in the 70s. At 9 and 10,000 feet, speeds averaged 15 to 25 mph, gusting in the 30s.

For today, mostly cloudy skies with a few lingering snow showers, and temperatures warming into the low to upper 20s. The northwesterly winds will remain strong at the upper elevations, averages of 30 to 40 mph, gusting to 50 mph. Mid elevation wind speeds should be civilized, with 5 to 15 mph averages, and gusts to 20 mph.

Additional Info

There is some good news - we are moving toward a deep, strong snowpack, but we're not there yet. We need a break in the snow and wind to allow the faceted weak layers and wind slabs to strengthen.

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.

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