We've got a couple of FREE avalanche education events coming up:

A Free Avalanche Awareness talk tonight at 9 pm at Milosport- 359 E University Pkwy, Orem, Utah 84058

A Free Women's Avalanche Beacon clinic, Dec 5th, 8:30-11:00 am, at the Albion Grill, Alta.

Click on Education in the main menu for a complete listing of avalanche classes and talks.

While the danger rose says MODERATE, it’s really a function of Low probability of triggering an avalanche that has Considerable consequences. There remain isolated areas – steep northeast through northwest facing slopes above roughly 9500’ - where one might trigger an avalanche 1-2’ deep into the older October/early November faceted snow. Consequences of getting caught and carried, raked through stumps, rocks, and trees are grim.

I expect the danger to rise overnight and tomorrow with the advancing winds and resulting wind slabs. Don’t be caught off guard by new drifts in unusual places – easterly winds will have some unusual loading patterns.

The next storm’s on the doorstep. We’ll see increasing clouds and snow but it’ll be the easterly winds tonight and tomorrow that’ll take your breath away. Already the ridgetop anemometers have ramped to 25mph with gusts to 35 from the southwest. Temps are warm – in the upper 20s and low 30s up high, but they should soon come crashing down to the mid-teens. Riding and touring conditions in the backcountry are fair, but by tomorrow I imagine even the most protected stashes of recycled powder suffer wind damage. Hold on to your hat.

We’ve had no reports of any significant cracking, collapsing or avalanche activity since Friday.

The storm moves overhead later in the day. Temps will drop to the upper teens and 10,000’ and we’re likely to see as much as a couple inches here in northern Utah. The winds will veer to the northwest, north, and then east and crank into the 45-55mph range with gusts to 75+. It’s the easterly winds tonight and tomorrow that will be the punisher. Friday will be an in-between day with yet another, similar storm dropping down from the north. Looks to be a carbon copy of tonight’s, though with slightly less severe wind.

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)

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

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

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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

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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.