Bulletin d’avalanche

Salt Lake

Émis le Dec 19, 2023valide jusqu’au Dec 20, 2023Utah Avalanche Center

Danger d’avalanche

Alpin
Limite forestière
Sous la limite forestière

Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 3 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

The overall avalanche danger is LOW. If you're traveling along the ridgelines, look for isolated shallow soft slabs of wind drifted snow. Also, wet loose avalanches should remain on your radar in damp or punchy, unsupportable areas that received another poor refreeze. Remember that Low danger is not the same as No danger.

Problèmes avalancheux

Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpin
Limite forestière
Sous la limite forestière
Probabilité
Unlikely
Taille
3
Our conditionally unstable snowpack structure has gone mostly dormant. In general, we have a poor structure of strong snow over weak snow, but time has allowed this structure to become (temporarily) stable. Forecaster Greg Gagne was in Porter Fork of Mill Creek Sunday and well explains the situation below. You can see his full observation HERE>

Bo Torrey also found a poor structure over near Empire Pass along the southern end of the Park City ridgeline. His propagation saw tests teased out a few weaknesses within the snowpack (photo below). Learn more about the Propagation Saw Test (PST) Here>

Recent Activity

We didn't hear of any avalanche activity from the ski areas or the backcountry yesterday, but an observer traveling in Broads Fork of BCC noted a recent glide avalanche on Bonkers (ENE facing at 10,100'). Rimmed to the west by steep and smooth quartzite slabs, Broads Fork is a well known area for natural glide avalanches. Stairs Gulch to the west of Broads and Mill B South to the east are also known for glide avalanches. With the continued warm temps, I wouldn't be surprised to hear of another glide release in this terrain. More info on Glide avalanches.

Snow and Weather

As of 5am, skies are overcast with light flurries reported in the high country. Mountain temps are in the upper 20s to mid-30s - a touch cooler than yesterday morning. Winds remain from the southwest, blowing 15-20mph. The most exposed anemometers have wind speeds of 25-30mph with gusts to 40. The snowpack absorbed quite a bit of heat yesterday and even the northerly aspects will have a zipper crust this morning perhaps as high as 9000'. It's becoming a snowpack that only a mother could love.

A very weak ripple in the southerly flow will bring clouds and some slight precipitation today. Winds should diminish over the course of the day. Temps will be in the upper 30s to mid-40s. All eyes are on Saturday's cold front that should bring a brief return to winter and put the dagger in the heart of the urban smog.

Even though it hasn't snowed in awhile, the overall snow-water-equivalent map for northern Utah is pretty darn good. The early December storm that brought 2.5-5.5" of snow-water-equivalent really saved the day.

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.

Observations and Avalanches

Backcountry Emergency Procedures