Salt Lake
Pericolo valanghe
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
In sintesi
The snowpack is generally stable and the avalanche danger is LOW. Our primary concerns are small slides able to knock us off our feet in consequential terrain. Watch for sensitive wind-drifted slabs in exposed terrain at mid and upper elevations up to 6 inches deep. Loose dry sluffs of weak snow, or facet-lanches, are becoming deeper and more common in steep, sheltered northerly terrain.
Ice Climbers: Consider the terrain above you and the potential for loose dry drifts while planning your climb and belays.
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Recent Activity
No Name Bowl, PC Ridgeline - Mark White noted dry loose facet sluffs running yesterday. While small, in the wrong terrain these can easily knock you off your feet, and are growing in size as the snowpack continues to weaken.
On Sunday, observers who found sensitive, shallow wind drifts in exposed terrain at mid and upper elevations. These drifts were shallow (up to six inches deep) and propagated up to 10 feet wide, with one rider caught and briefly carried on Mt. Raymond. Nikki Champion and Greg Gagne found similar conditions.
Snow and Weather
Yesterday, cold clear weather persisted with mountain highs hitting the high teens to low 20s F under mostly sunny skies. Winds from the west blew 10-25 mph, with gusts into the mid 20s to 30s mph able to transport dry, faceted surface snow.
Today will be slightly different from yesterday (!) as high cloud cover moves in and out with periods of sun and mid-level clouds. Temps will rise into the high 20s F, and winds will be similar to yesterday.
Looking ahead, there's a potential for some snow to fall tomorrow as a system passes to our north, but you'll have to check back tomorrow for more details. While the weather isn’t exactly what we’ve been hoping for—it’s never a GOOD thing when the NWS remarks in the morning include the words “boring” and “depressing”— it is a great time right now to explore terrain we normally wouldn’t be able to to get into this time of year….and—you never know what’s coming on day 11 of a 10 day forecast. Or day 15 of a 14 day model run. I’ll be holding out...
General Announcements
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.