Salt Lake
Danger d’avalanche
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
Points saillants
The avalanche danger is LOW and normal caution is advised. Watch for and avoid (1) shallow wind drifts in upper elevation protected terrain, (2) fast running loose-snow avalanches in steep northerly terrain as the surface snow becomes weak and cohesionless, and (3) wet rollerballs, pinwheels, and even wet loose sluffs 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.
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Recent Activity
Just as Drew said we might, we have begun to see some small loose-dry avalanches in the weak faceted snow.
Pro observer Mark White saw some small fast-running dry sluffs in No-name Bowl yesterday.
Video of the "facet sluffs" from No-Name Bowl (PC: M. White)
Recent observations can be found by clicking here.
Snow and Weather
This morning, under clear skies there is an inversion in the mountains with trailhead temperatures in the mid-teens F and mountain temperatures in the mid-20s F. Winds are currently south southwesterly and blowing 5-10 mph at mid-elevations, with gusts near 40 mph at the upper elevations.
Snow depths are generally 1-2', the best riding can be found on shaded north-facing terrain that is still holding onto soft snow from Thanksgiving. In the open north-facing terrain, surface hoar continues to develop overnight. The South-facing aspects have been going through a melt-freeze cycle, leading to a firm surface crust in the morning and then becoming damp throughout the day.
Photo of the developing surface hoar from Big Cottonwood Canyon (PC: J. Johnson)
For today, we will have sunny skies in the morning with south-westerly winds and mountain temperatures in the mid-30s F until a fast-moving trough moves through the area this afternoon. This trough will bring cold temperatures and increased ridgetop winds, with gusts up to 40 mph. We could get a trace amount of snow overnight into the morning.
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 has become so weak, sluffing (loose-snow avalanches) has begun occurring 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
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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.