Avalanche forecast

Skyline

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger remains on steep slopes above 9500' that face northwest, north, northeast and east.

The snowpack is stubborn but dangerous. Many upper elevation northerly facing slopes won't avalanche. Some will. It is almost impossible to determine which ones will avalanche and which ones won't, which makes for a dangerous situation.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    3

    The new snow on its own was well behaved on Friday, and I did not see any signs of instability. The danger lies deeper within the snowpack in the faceted snow that formed during the January dry spell. This snow remains weak. The addition of the new snow has added some stress to that weak snow, increasing the likelihood of triggering an avalanche that breaks deep.

    Overall, the snowpack is stubborn. Collapsing is not happening anymore. But, again, the old snow from January remains weak, and it is possible for a person to trigger a dangerous avalanche. What makes the situation tricky is that it is almost impossible to tell which slopes will avalanche and which won't.

Snow and Weather

General Conditions: The storm continued in a cold, unstable, northwest flow for most of the day on Friday. Storm totals since Wednesday are as follows:

  • Fairview Lakes - 6"
  • Ephraim Canyon - 12"
  • 12 Mile Canyon - 9"

The new snow is top-shelf quality powder. Riding conditions are good but you'll feel the old hard surface under the new snow. Temperatures stayed cool with highs only around 20°¨F on Friday and overnight lows down near 10°F. Wind from the northwest was mostly moderate in speed. It was just a bit gusty along the ridgetops. It has slowed dramatically over the last few hours.

Mountain Weather: We'll have sunny skies with temperatures starting to rebound today. Highs will be in the low 30s. Wind will be from the north or even northeast with generally light speeds. Sunday brings warmer temperatures, which will persist through the week. I don't see any significant storms on the horizon. This could effectively be the end of a very mild winter.

Additional Info

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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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