Whole Foods Market in Cottonwood Heights is helping to raise funds for avalanche education. The store, at 6930 S. Highland Drive, will donate 5 percent of its net sales on Jan. 13 to the Utah Avalanche Center. We will present a 50-minute “Know Before You Go” safety presentation there at 7 p.m.

Are you prepared to deal with an injury in the backcountry? A Wilderness First Responder course could save your partner's life someday. Wasatch Emergency Medical Training is offering a course beginning January 17 & is donating a portion of the proceeds to the FUAC. Contact Mike atescobadelmar@gmail.comfor details.

There are pockets of LEVEL 2 (MODERATE) avalanche danger on mid and upper elevation slopes for small wind slabs and for loose snow sluffs, especially on shadier northwest through southeasterly facing slopes. Terrain – meaning where a ride would take you if you’re knocked off you feet - will determine the seriousness of these small avalanches. Keep a sharp eye on the wind – if there is any increase where you, the avalanche danger will rapidly increase. Out of the wind affected terrain and off the steepest slopes, the avalanche danger is generally LEVEL 1 (LOW).

Under mostly cloudy skies, temperatures seem downright balmy compared to yesterday’s negative territory, with most stations reporting in the mid to upper teens. The southwesterly winds remain light at most locations, with only the most exposed peaks averaging 15 to 20 mph (to 25 mph in the Ogden area mountains), with gusts 30 to 35 mph. Turning and riding conditions remain excellent on untracked wind and sun sheltered slopes.

Yesterday’s slight increase in winds was just enough to blow around the low density snow, and there were isolated reports of easily triggered and natural small soft wind slabs from the Ogden and Provo area mountains. Both surface hoar and low density snow were identified as the culprit weak layers. There were also easily triggered sluffs of the loose, weak surface snow on steep slopes.

Skies will be mostly cloudy today and tonight as a weak splitting storm system leaves northern Utah in the middle. Temperatures will warm today into the upper 20’s at 8,000’ and to near 20 at 10,000’. The southwesterly winds will generally be in the 10 to 20 mph range, with gusts less than 25. But the highest peaks and ridges will have averages to 25 mph with gusts to 35. A fast moving disturbance, still on track for Thursday night, is forecast to produce 3 to 5” of snow and be accompanied by slightly stronger west to northwesterly winds. A moist west to northwest flow through the weekend may bring periods of occasional light snow.

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry - especially if you are adjacent to a ski area – please call the following teams to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Salt Lake – Alta Central (801-742-2033)

Ogden – Snowbasin Patrol Dispatch (801-620-1017)

Provo – Sundance Patrol Dispatch (801-223-4150)

Discount Lift tickets: Ski Utah, Backcountry.com, Alta, Deer Valley, Park City, The Canyons, Wolf Mountain, Snowbasin, Beaver Mountain, Brighton, Sundance, and Solitude have donated a limited number of tickets for sale.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides flight plan.

Dawn Patrol Forecast Hotline, updated by 05:30: 888-999-4019 option 8.

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

Subscribe to the daily avalanche advisory e-mail click HERE.

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

You have the opportunity to participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email by clicking HERE

Donate to your favorite non-profit – The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.

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.

We will update this forecast tomorrow morning. Thanks for calling.