Provo
Pericolo valanghe
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
In sintesi
Even with an overall LOW avalanche danger, avalanches can still be triggered on isolated terrain features today. Look for - and avoid - shallow wind drifts in the upper elevations.
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.
The holiday season is right around the corner!! Looking for that special something for your partner? or yourself? Well, we've got an easy shopping solution for you...Buy your gifts at our Pray for Snow online auction.
Recent Activity
We did not hear of any avalanche activity in the Provo mountains, but pro observer Mark White intentionally collapsed a fresh wind slab along the higher elevations in the central Wasatch Friday.
Shooting cracks - as evidenced below - are clear signs of avalanche instability. Mark said that the wind slab would have avalanched if he had been in steeper terrain.
Snow and Weather
Skies are clear.
Winds are light from the northeast, blowing 10-15mph with gusts to 20.
Mountain temperatures are in the mid-20s along the ridgelines, the mid-teens in the basins and at the trailheads.
Snow depths are generally 6-12" and there's not enough snow to slide around on in the Provo area mountains.
For today, we'll have sunny skies, light north wind, and mountain temperatures reaching into the upper 30s to low 40s. A sharp cold front arrives Monday night but it looks to be starved of moisture at this point.
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 may become so weak, sluffing (loose-snow avalanches) may again become likely 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.