Wasatch Cache National Forest
In partnership with: Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Department of Emergency Services and Homeland Security and Salt Lake County.

AVALANCHE ADVISORY

Wednesday, December 28, 2005 7:30am
Good morning, this is Evelyn Lees with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory. Today is Wednesday, December 28, 2005, and it’s about 7:30 am.

Check out our new graphical advisory format. You can update your bookmarks to this link:
http://www.avalanche.org/~uac/newadvisory/advisory.php

Current Conditions:

Skies are mostly cloudy this morning, and temperatures have warmed into the upper 20’s to low 30’s ahead of an approaching storm. A trace of snow or rain fell overnight, with the rain/snow line currently about 7,500’. The westerly winds are picking up across the ridges, averaging about 15 mph with gusts in the 30’s. As usual, the wind speeds are significantly stronger across the highest peaks. Yesterday was one of those “So much powder, so little time…” days. This morning, turning and riding conditions should still be good in dense powder on mid and upper elevation, wind sheltered slopes. But the snow quality will deteriorate throughout the day with warming temperatures, strong winds and the snow/rain line rising to near 9,000’.

Avalanche Conditions:

Yesterday, the snow was surprisingly stable, and the only avalanche activity reported from the backcountry was minor sluffing on the steepest slopes. Today, expect similar conditions in wind sheltered areas.

In the more wind exposed terrain, new wind drifts will be forming, and may become more sensitive throughout the day as they deepen. With fresh wind drifts, always consider them guilty until proven innocent, and avoid any steep slope with fresh deposits of wind blown snow.

The avalanche danger may rise faster on steep, wind drifted slopes in the Provo and Ogden mountains because of the buried rain crust (another cool photo) beneath the snow.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is MODERATE on steep slopes with fresh drifts of wind blown snow. As the wind drifts become more widespread and deeper today, the avalanche danger will increase. On wind sheltered slopes, the avalanche danger is generally LOW.

Mountain Weather:

An approaching cold front will reach northern Utah around midnight. Ahead of the front, skies will be mostly cloudy today, with occasional snow and rain showers. Temperatures will warm to near 40 at 8,000’ and into the mid 30’s at 10,000’. Winds will shift to the southwest and increase into the 25 to 35 mph range. Snow will begin in earnest tonight, with the snow/rain line dropping to near the valley floor. A cold, moist northwest flow will keep snow showers going through Thursday, and storm totals of 9” to 16” are possible. High pressure will briefly return for Friday, with another storm approaching Friday night.

Regional Snow Profile (this profile can also be found daily off our home page under avalanche products)

Click here for Seasonal Weather History Charts.

Yesterday, Wasatch Powderbird Guides flew in Cardiff, Days, Grizzly, American Fork and Cascade Ridge. If they can fly today, they’ll be in Cardiff, Mineral, Days, Silver, Grizzly, American Fork, and Cascade. For more info, call 742-2800.

We appreciate any backcountry snow and avalanche conditions you observe. Call (801) 524-5304 or 1-800-662-4140, email uac@avalanche.org or fax 801-524-6301. The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

To have this advisory automatically e-mailed to you each day, click HERE. (You must re-sign up this season even if you were on the list last season.)

UDOT also has a highway avalanche control work hotline for Little Cottonwood road, which is updated as needed. 801-975-4838.

I will update this advisory by 7:30 Thursday morning. Thanks for calling.