Watch out if traveling in the backcountry near ski areas. Please be aware of and respect their boundaries. Many resorts are working on opening their terrain and using explosives in those areas.
Batteries for Beacons runs through Dec 19. Get free batteries for your transceiver and a chance to win 1 of 10 Black Diamond Rescue Kits, 1 of 3 Mammut Barryvox transceivers, or 1 of 3 BCA Tracker transceivers. Stop at a
participating shop, fill out our survey and get a free set of batteries. Don't need batteries, but still want a chance to win? Fill
out the survey to be registered.
Currently, the skies are clear, and the upper elevation mountain temperatures are 30-35 °F above about 7,500'. Winds continue to crank across the upper elevation ridgelines blowing from the south with speeds of 25-35 mph, gusting into the 50's and 60's. Currently, Ogden Peak is blowing south at speeds of 50-60 mph gusting into the 80's. Yesterday afternoon, Hidden Peak (11,000') recorded a wind gust at 103 mph. Speeds of 96-110 mph define a category two hurricane. Impressive!
Today, we can expect increasing clouds and temperatures climbing into the upper 20's to the low 30's °F at about 8,500' in elevation. As a large-scale storm approaches Northern Utah, the southerly winds will remain strong, with speeds in the 25-35 mph range for much of the day. We could see gusts at the highest elevations hitting the triple digits again.
It's a one-two punch, with the first storm starting this evening around the dinner hour. The southerly winds finally back to the west and slow in speed as the front crosses overhead around 11:00 pm. By Wednesday morning, we could see 10"-15" of new snow (0.80"-1.0" water). A brief lull throughout the day on Wednesday will allow the second wave to move in later in the evening, lasting into Friday with another 5"-8" of new snow (0.40"-0.60" water). In total, we could see anywhere from 15"-25" inches of new snow over the next couple of days.
Video: Loop of the 500 millibar height / 500 millibar Vorticity showing both storms impacting Northern Utah with a precip total at the end.
No new avalanches were reported from the Ogden backcountry. Many backcountry observers in the Cottonwoods continue to note booming collapses and shooting cracks. Regularly check
the observations page for field observations and avalanche activity.