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Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Trent Meisenheimer
Issued by Trent Meisenheimer on
Monday morning, December 16, 2019
The avalanche danger is MODERATE on all mid and upper elevation steep slopes where human triggered avalanches 1-2' are possible. Caution is warranted in all steep terrain. Proper assessmeent and safe travel protocol is key. Below 7,000' in elevation you will find a LOW avalanche danger.
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Special Announcements
We are very sad to report an avalanche fatality that happened yesterday along the Park City ridgeline in the Dutch Draw area. The avalanche was 1 to 3 feet deep, 120' feet wide and ran 600' vertical feet to the bottom. A 45 year old male snowboarder left the Canyons Village of Park City via the backcountry exit gate at the top of the 9990' lift to access Dutch Draw. Part of the way down the slope (Conehead area of Dutch Draw), he triggered and was caught, carried and killed in an avalanche.
A link to the preliminary accident report can be found HERE. UAC forecasters Mark Staples and Trent Meisenheimer will visit the site today for a complete accident report. Our deepest condolences go out to the friends, family, rescuers, and everyone affected by this tragic accident.
Weather and Snow
Under partly cloudy skies this morning the mountain temperatures are in the single digits °F at the upper elevations while lower elevation trailheads sit in the mid teens °F. Northwest winds continued to blow in the overnight hours and are currently 10-15 mph with gusts into the mid 20's at the upper elevations. In other locations like James Peak the wind is calm. Overnight, we picked up another trace to 3" of new snow in the Ogden area. We will see the last remaining snowflakes in the early morning hours today with clearing later this afternoon as a shortwave ridge builds in for the next couple of days.
Riding and turning conditions are all time with dense, surfy snow, capped by 1-3" of Utah's famous ultra light to sweeten the deal. The weekend storm totals are below:
  • LCC - 31" (3.64"SWE)
  • BCC - 35" (3.50"SWE)
  • PC Ridgeline - 18" (2.0"SWE)
  • Ogden mountains - 20-30" (2.5-4.0"SWE)
  • Provo mountains - 18" (2.0"SWE)
Recent Avalanches
Avalanche control teams reorted shallow, small, new snow avalalnches confined to the upper 6" of the snowpack. No backcountry observations were reported from the Ogden area yesterday. Excellent recent observations by Debruin and Fogg can be found HERE.
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Avalanche Problem #1
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Wind slab and storm snow avalanches may still be triggered on steep slopes on many aspects at the mid and upper elevations. The drifts will be more prominent in (but not exclusive to) terrain with an easterly component. Lingering storm snow avalanches may be triggered on all aspects and up to a 12-18" deep. Test slopes, cornice drops, and ski cuts are generally effective with these types of soft slab avalanches. Listen for the collapse of wind pillows. Watch for shooting cracks. These are signs that the storm and wind drifts are still reactive. Avoid the growing and still sensitive cornices along the ridgelines.
Avalanche Problem #2
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Despite the significant loading and avalanche control work, no avalanches stepped down into this old snow layering. I suspect we will soon put this problem to bed but I would like to have another day or two of reports and observations that this structure is not a player. Being wrong with this is unacceptable. UAC forecasters Drew Hardesty, Eric Trenbeath and long time pro Doug Wewer will be in the Ogden mountains today. Stay tuned for their observation and information.
Additional Information
Avalanche Rescue is the real deal. You must feel completely confident that you can pull off an avalanche rescue if things go wrong today. Even this may not save the day as roughly 1/4-1/3 of all fatalities are due to traumatic injury. If there is an avalanche accident, CALL 911 and say this is a backcountry emergency. But make no mistake - YOU NEED TO PULL OFF THE RESCUE, AND MOST LIKELY YOU HAVE ONLY 15-20 MINUTES TO DO SO.
KNOW THAT RESCUE TEAMS ASSUME A GREAT DEAL OF RISK in coming in to help injured or avalanched parties. AS ALWAYS, PLEASE OBEY CLOSURES AND UPHILL POLICY RESTRICTIONS AS INDICATED BY THE SKI AREAS.
General Announcements
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This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
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