Salt Lake
Avalanche danger
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
Highlights
Even with an overall LOW avalanche danger, avalanches can still be triggered on isolated terrain features today. Look for - and avoid - shallow wind drifts in the upper elevations. They may even crack out above you in steep terrain.
Wet loose sluffs can be expected today on the steepest sunlit slopes by midday.
REMEMBER that getting caught in even a small avalanche could have significant consequences with the risk of hitting a rock, stump, or downed timber.
Special Announcement
Announcement: Please visit this website with information about Responsible Winter Recreation by the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation.
If you missed the 13th Annual Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop, the recordings are available for purchase from the UAC Store.
The holiday season is right around the corner!! Looking for that special something for your partner? or yourself? Well, we've got an easy shopping solution for you...Buy your gifts at our Pray for Snow online auction.
Recent Activity
We did not hear of any avalanche activity, although pro observer Mark White intentionally collapsed a fresh wind slab along the higher elevations of the Cottonwood Ridgeline yesterday.
Shooting cracks - as evidenced below - are clear signs of avalanche instability. Mark said that the wind slab would have avalanched if he had been in steeper terrain.
Recent observations can be found by clicking here.
Snow and Weather
Skies are clear.
Winds are light from the northwest.
Mountain temperatures are in the mid to upper 20s along the ridgelines, the mid-teens in the basins and at the trailheads. One can see the building inversion in the photo below, taken from upper Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Snow depths are generally 1-2', but the Thanksgiving storm did wonders for riding conditions. Shady aspects still have a settled 3-5" up high, although many south and west aspects suffered sun damage yesterday and will start with a breakable crust before the midday thaw.
Still, it's glorious in the mountains. Long time backcountry observer Peter Donner noted yesterday, "It's pretty good for how bad it is."
For today, we'll have sunny skies, light northwest wind, and mountain temperatures reaching into the mid to upper 30s. The northwest winds will be stronger closer to the Ogden and Logan area mountains. Tomorrow should be roughly the same ahead of a weak system for Monday night into Tuesday.
Additional Info
Looking Ahead: Although our current snowpack is thin, there is widespread variability. Strong winds in the middle of November scoured many slopes, while others got a firm wind slab compressed into the terrain. Since that time, we have had several cold and clear nights that promote a "faceting" process which weakens the snowpack, turning the snow crystals into sharp, angular, weak grains. With high pressure forecast for at least the next week, this faceting process will continue.
In the short term, the surface snow may become so weak, sluffing (loose-snow avalanches) may again become likely on the steepest slopes.
In the long term, this weakening snow will become an issue once we get a load of storm or wind-driven snow on top of this weak snowpack structure. A perfect recipe for avalanche conditions.
Forecaster Greg Gagne gives a summary of what the snow looks like under his feet in upper Big Cottonwood on Thursday.
Weather Outlook: The longer range models do not look particularly good for storms through mid-December.
General Announcements
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.