Avalanche forecast

Skyline

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Highlights

The avalanche danger is rated at CONSIDERABLE on mid and upper elevation slopes that face northwest through east.

There were two confirmed fatalities due to two separate avalanches that happened in the Salt Lake area mountains over the last 3 days.

The snowpack on the Skyline is very similar to where the accidents occurred.

Continue to avoid steep terrain in the mid and upper elevations that face west through north through east.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    3

    Unfortunately, the two recent fatalities clearly demonstrate how dangerous conditions are right now. As I stated yesterday, buried sugary faceted snow is the cause of most fatal avalanche accidents in Utah. We have buried sugary faceted snow on the Manti Skyline right now. These faceted weak layers don't "settle out" or heal overnight. It can take a long time for things to stabilize.

    This information should be enough for you to decided whether it is a good time or not to recreate in avalanche terrain.

Recent Activity

There was a fatal avalanche accident in Porter Fork of the Wasatch Range that occurred on Saturday. Weak sugary faceted snow from earlier in the season was what made the avalanche release. DETAILS HERE

There was a second fatal avalanche accident in Silver Fork of the Wasatch Range on Tuesday. Old buried faceted snow was the weak layer in this avalanche also. DETAILS HERE

Snow and Weather

Current Conditions: Temperatures have been cold. Highs barely made it into the mid teens on Tuesday. Overnight lows were in the single digits but have been climbing back into the teens. It was slightly breezy mid day on Tuesday. The speeds actaully didn't get very strong but I think the cold temperatures made it feel worse than it was. Riding conditions are pretty good in sheltered terrain. The snowpack is quite supportable on skis. You'll find your machine punching through deep into sugar in many locations still.

Mountain Weather: The big picture is that there are a number of storms moving through this week but the brunt of them stay to our north. We'll get some table scraps as far as snow accumulation. Today expect mostly cloudy skies with breezy wind from the west. High temperatures should get into the mid 20s. There's a slight chance of snow but the most likely period where we might see 1 to 3 inches of accumulation is tonight. Things clear out a bit Thursday PM into Friday then there's another chance for some light accumulations this weekend.

Additional Info

SKYLINE AVALANCHES & OBSERVATIONS

CAMERAS & WEATHER STATIONS

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FACEBOOK: SKYLINE AVALANCHE

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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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