Join the UAC for the first "Stay and Play Avalanche Course" at Bear River Lodge in the Uintas, March 19th-22nd. This course is designed for snowmobilers by snowmobilers, where you will learn avalanche rescue, riding skills, and how to survive in the backcountry. Come enjoy all the luxury offerings at Bear River Lodge and improve your skills along the way.
You can find details and sign up HERE.
This morning, temperatures are 15-20°F, and winds are blowing from the west, averaging 5-15 mph with gusts in the 20s mph at upper elevations.
Today, high thin clouds build overhead through the afternoon. Temperatures warm into the low 40s °F. Wind blowing from the southwest increases to 10-20 mph with gusts in the 30s by early evening.
We did not receive reports of avalanches from the Southern Wasatch, but there have been several avalanches from the Central Wasatch, where similar snowpack conditions exist. Recap from the north below:
Yesterday, several human-triggered avalanches were reported in the backcountry, with rumors of 2 close calls in terrain near Brighton. Avalanche activity over the last several days has been most common on upper-elevation north through east-facing slopes where the wind deposited additional snow. All of these soft slabs failed at the new/old interface, where exceptionally weak faceted snow exists from the January drought. These slopes may not appear obviously wind-loaded, as snowfall from Thursday fell without much wind and covered up the usual indicators of wind-drifting.
- White Pine-Dog Dish- northeast aspect at 9600 feet, skier-triggered, 15 inches deep by 200 feet wide, failing on facets and propagating wide.
- Brighton- Pioneer Peak- northeast aspect at 10,200 feet, snowboarder triggered, 12 inches deep by 50 feet wide, failing on facets.
- Park City Ridgeline-Scotts Hill- north aspect at 9900 feet, skier-triggered, 2 feet deep by 25 feet wide, failing on facets
While the recent storm snow has begun to settle and sensitivity slowly decreases, the slab is now more cohesive and has shown it can propagate widely.
A skier-triggered avalanche in upper White Pine failed on a layer of faceted snow and propagated widely.
You can view all recent observations here.
