Ogden

Problemi valanghivi

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta quota
  • Limite del bosco
  • Sotto il limite del bosco

  Probabilità

  Likely

  Dimensione

  3

  Over the past week, we have added several feet of snow (with up to 4" of water) to our snowpack. In addition, strong winds from the west/southwest have deposited dense slabs of wind-driven snow at the mid and upper elevations. This new snow and dense wind-driven snow have created dangerous avalanche conditions on mid and upper elevation slopes facing north-west through north and east, where there is a buried persistent weak layer (PWL) of faceted snow. Over the past few days, large avalanches have broken down to this weak layer, producing slides up to 2 to 8 feet deep and hundreds of feet wide.

  Choose the type of avalanche problem you want to deal with. You have two options. You can choose to ride the southerly (sunny) facing terrain where you need to look out for small drifts of wind-blown snow (see second avalanche problem). OR your second option is to ride slopes on the northerly (shady) facing terrain where you are likely to trigger large, deep, wide, scary, deadly, tree snapping avalanches that will likely KILL you. My advice is below:

  • Avoid this problem entirely by sticking to the southerly facing terrain with no buried weak layer.
  • Southerly facing terrain has all-time powder and no weak layer and therefore is a much safer riding option.
  • Temperatures are cold - why ride in the icebox when the southerly facing sunshine keeps you warm.
  • If you decide to ride northerly facing terrain, stick to slopes under 30° degrees in steepness with nothing steep above you.

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta quota
  • Limite del bosco
  • Sotto il limite del bosco

  Probabilità

  Possible

  Dimensione

  2

  Overnight the winds have been well behaved for all but the uppermost elevations where the wind is blowing from the north-west at speeds of 10-15 mph. However, with so much new snow available for transport, it's hard not to think there will be some pockets of wind drifted snow off the ridgelines. As always, be on the lookout and avoid the snow that looks wavy, rounded, and pillowy. Any cornice or wind drifted snow avalanche that's triggered on the northerly side of the compass has the potential to step down into deeper weaker layers triggering a much larger avalanche.