Avalanche Advisory
| Advisory: Skyline Area Mountains | Issued by Craig Gordon for January 12, 2013 - 6:52am |
|---|
 
Above treeline
Near treeline
Below treeline
|
bottom line A CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger is found in wind drifted, upper elevation terrain. Human triggered avalanches are likely, especially on steep slopes facing the north half of the compass. A MODERATE avalanche danger exists on mid and lower elevation slopes. Human triggered avalanches within the new storm snow are possible on steep, wind drifted slopes. Wind sheltered terrain offers LOW avalanche danger.
|
 |
special announcement Please join us on Thursday evening, 1/24 and Saturday, 1/26 for a day of learning avalanche and advanced riding skills with Craig & Trent from the Utah Avalanche Center and Dan Gardiner and the Boondockers crew. Details and sign up here
|
 |
current conditions A nice shot of snow slammed into the Skyline late Thursday, depositing a solid 10" of ultra-light, blower Utah powder. Skies are mostly cloudy this morning, temperatures are struggling to climb out of negative territory, and westerly winds are blowing 0-5 mph along the summit. Recent winds have had their way up high and the big, open bowls are a bit wind-jacked. The hot ticket is to head to wind sheltered terrain where the riding and turning conditions remain unscathed by the wind and the snow is light and epically deep!
|
 |
recent activity Visibility was grim yesterday, like being inside a milk jug.... there are no reports of recent avalanche activity. |
Avalanche Problem 1over the next 24 hours
| type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
|---|
 |
Above treeline
Near treeline
Below treeline
|
|
|
description
West and southwest winds blew in the 20's and 30's for the past two days and that's the big game changer with stability on the Skyline this weekend. I suspect wind drifts along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges will be sensitive to the additional weight of a rider and today's slabs will break wider and deeper than you might expect. Most pronounced on slopes facing the north half of the compass, once triggered, today's avalanches will pack a punch and have the possibility to break into deeper buried weak layers as they crash down on the slope below. It doesn't mean you can't ride today. It does mean you should carefully assess the terrain and consider options, like slopes that face the south half of the compass or simply head to terrain that's sheltered from the wind. |
Avalanche Problem 2over the next 24 hours
| type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
|---|
 |
Above treeline
Near treeline
Below treeline
|
|
|
description
You'd have to go out of your way to trigger a deep avalanche that breaks to old snow near the ground. But our problem child... weak, sugary snow near the ground still exists in steep, rocky, upper elevation terrain facing the north half of the compass. If your travels take you into complex terrain today stop for a moment, carefully assess the snowpack, and think about the consequences of triggering an avalanche.
|
 |
weather Man.... it's gonna be cold today! Highs only reach into the single digits and overnight lows crash to near -10 degrees. Westerly winds remain light, in the 5-10 mph range. Partly cloudy skies and continued cold temperatures are on tap for Sunday. A slight warming trend is slated for the upcoming week with valley inversions strengthening and no big storms in sight. |
| general annoucements Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can call Craig Gordon directly at 801-231-2170, email craig@utahavalanchecenter.org, or email by clicking HERE This is a great time of year to schedule a free avalanche awareness presentation for your group or club. You can contact me at 801-231-2170 or email craig@utahavalanchecenter.org 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 US Forest Service which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur. The advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Saturday Jan. 19, 2013 |