Bollettino valanghe

Salt Lake

Pubblicato il Feb 10, 2025valido fino al Feb 11, 2025Utah Avalanche Center

Pericolo valanghe

Alta quota
Limite del bosco
Sotto il limite del bosco

Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 2 years ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Areas of CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exist on many slopes of the mid and upper elevations. The danger is most pronounced on northwest to east facing terrain. On these slopes, you may trigger soft slab avalanches 1-3 feet thick and a couple hundred feet wide failing on a variety of weak interfaces. A MODERATE danger exists on many other steep slopes where human triggered avalanches remain possible.

Strict travel protocols are essential for backcountry riding today.

Problemi valanghivi

Storm Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alta quota
Limite del bosco
Sotto il limite del bosco
Probabilità
Possible
Dimensione
2
Friday's blockbuster of a storm resulted in a number of natural and human triggered avalanches on a variety of aspects and elevations. These interfaces are slowly healing but you may still be able to trigger a soft slab today on many aspects and elevations. Pay close attention to cracking and collapsing. I am particularly suspicious of aspects with an easterly component that may involve crusts. The avalanche in the Meadow Chutes of Silver Fork from Saturday comes to mind. Pic below.
Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alta quota
Limite del bosco
Sotto il limite del bosco
Probabilità
Possible
Dimensione
3
There are two buried weak layers of faceted snow in our snowpack that continue to be triggered by skiers and riders in the backcountry.

One is roughly 12-24 inches down and was buried at the end of January. The other is our old November/December weak layer that produced avalanches over the holidays and have been reloaded, waiting to be triggered again. Prime example was yesterday's remotely triggered slide in lower Mineral Fork. These weak layers are primarily on the north side of the compass with a little east and west thrown in here and there at the mid and upper elevations. I view these as tricky and dangerous, warranting extra caution.

CAUTION: There is a wide array of spatial variability out there - snow pits may not be representative of similar aspects and elevations.
Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alta quota
Limite del bosco
Sotto il limite del bosco
Probabilità
Likely
Dimensione
2
You'll be able to trigger shallow soft slabs of wind drifted snow along the higher elevation bands today. These soft slabs will be more pronounced on steep north to east to south facing slopes and may be particulary sensitive as the new drifts will be resting uneasily on loose grains formed yesterday. Some may be triggered at a distance.

Special Announcement

We are deeply saddened to report an avalanche fatality in the East Bowl of Silverfork on Saturday. A very preliminary report can be found HERE>

Please join UAC Forecaster Craig Gordon at Ecker Hill Middle School, Tuesday February 11th from 6:30-8:00 PM for a State of the Snowpack presentation hosted by Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association -- Reserve a spot HERE.

Recent Activity

We're just on the heels of a tragic weekend with one skier fatality in the East Bowl of Silver Fork of BCC and a very close call in the Dutch Draw area along the PC ridgeline that fully buried one rider and partially buried another. With good visibility yesterday, observers noted a wide expanse of large natural avalanches that ripped out over the weekend, from the Room of Doom (MD pic) in upper Mineral Fork, to a wide expanse of naturals in Broads Fork, to the Raymond Slabs of upper Porter Fork, to Wilson Chutes and upper Snake Creek.

In lower Mineral Fork yesterday, a skier remotely triggered a soft slab avalanche that stepped to the ground. This was a repeater slope that avalanched over the holidays on a steep northeast facing slope at 9000'. The avalanche broke 2.5 feet deep and 100' wide. (L. Dunn pic below.). The other avalanche that caught my eye was with control work along the PC ridgeline where the ski cut produced an avalanche that collapsed a crust a foot deep and 40' wide on an east facing slope at 8700'.

Observations and Avalanches

Snow and Weather

Skies are clear. Mountain temps are in the single digits. Winds are generally light from the west. Along the highest elevations, however, they're averaging 25-35mph with occasional gusts to 45.

Today, we'll have sunny skies, generally light westerly winds, and temps rising to the teens and low 20s.

A weak brush-by system grazes through tonight and tomorrow that'll bring exceptionally cold temps on Wednesday (down to -5°F). A potent looking system follows for Friday.

It's some of the best skiing and riding of the year right now, but we don't sit easy in the forecast office. I view the snowpack structure as fairly complex with a lot of avalanches failing on a lot of different weak layers. Some of the weak layers formed in November and December, some in late January, some with Friday's blockbuster storm. When the snowpack gets complex, I recommend choosing the simple option: low angle terrain. There's plenty of slopes 30° or less that offer excellent riding without having to thread the needle or outsmart the avalanches. Just my 2 cents from 25 years in the easy chair.

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.

Observations and Avalanches

Backcountry Emergency Procedures