Forecast: Ogden Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Issued by Mark Staples on
Tuesday morning, March 31, 2020

INCREASED WINDS have created dangerous avalanche conditions at upper elevations where the avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE. Triggering a slab of wind drifted snow is likely. It remains possible to trigger a soft slab of new snow on slopes without wind drifting.

Triggering one of these slides remains possible at mid elevations where the danger is MODERATE.

The danger is LOW at low elevations where wet avalanches may occur depending on how wet the snow gets.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Special Announcements

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The UAC encourages everyone to follow directions from state, city, and county officials. The following is from Joe Dougherty, spokesman for the Utah Division of Emergency Management:

Though outdoor recreation is still permitted under the governor’s Stay Safe/Stay Home directive, we recommend that people maintain a distance of at least 6 feet.

Be extra cautious to avoid injuries outdoors. We are working with our hospital systems to conserve as much personal protective equipment as possible in case of hospitalizations.

Most outdoor injuries can be prevented. Know the conditions and know your limits, so you don’t end up in a hospital.

Weather and Snow

Winds this morning have increased from the southwest. Even at low elevations wind gusts are reaching 20 mph. At 9000' ridgelines, winds are averaging 27-36 mph with gust of 45 mph.

Temperatures this morning are on average 7 degrees warmer than yesterday. Low elevations have temperatures in the low 40s F. Freezing temperatures are at about 8000 feet, and above 9000 feet, temperatures are in the mid 20s F.

Today will have mostly cloudy skies with some snow falling but only adding up to an inch of snow at best. Temperatures at lower elevations should warm into the upper 40s F with temperatures in the mid to upper 30s F elsewhere. Winds will remain gusty today and will continue reaching speeds of 40-50 mph at upper elevations. There shouldn't be much sunshine getting through today's clouds but it's hard to say. Even a little sunshine can slip through thin clouds which can act as a greenhouse and make things feel quite warm.

The snow got warm and damp yesterday at low and mid elevations.

Recent Avalanches

There have been a lot of avalanches recently but none reported yesterday other than a few very small wet point releases yesterday afternoon. All avalanche activity has occurred in snow that has fallen within the last week. Most have broken 1-2 feet deep. During this time 14 people have been caught and carried in these slides.

Check out all the recent slides HERE.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Fresh slabs of wind drifted snow will be the main problem to avoid today. The additional weight of wind drifted snow will make it easy to trigger slides in the new snow. These could be 3 feet deep and easily break over 100 feet wide OR MORE depending on the size of the slope.

Look for visual clues of slopes with fresh wind drifts and avoid them. They will mostly likely be an issue at upper elevations, but look for fresh wind slabs at mid elevations too. Read more HERE on how to recognize this problem.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

The problem is that the new snow hasn't stabilized at the same rate on all slopes. During the last five days there have been many avalanches; however, many people have found stable snow on many other slopes.

There are a few lurking weak layers just under the new snow. Drew and his partners found some surface hoar that caused a slide in No Name bowl at Snowbasin on Friday. A regular observer found a similar layer buried 2 feet deep near Snowbasin yesterday. Further south near Farmington Canyon, Trent and I found mostly stable snow but a recent avalanche and unstable results in one snowpit location told us to not take stability for granted. We simply avoided any slope steeper than 30 degrees.

What to do after you avoid wind loaded slopes?

(1) Roll the dice and take your chances which is a poor choice

(2) Dig in the snow, perform stability tests, check the snow on small test slopes, and evaluate stability on a slope-by-slope basis. This option is hard, takes experience, and you may still get it wrong.

(3) Given the current health care crisis, simply avoid avalanche terrain all together and ride slopes less than 30 degrees in steepness where avalanches don't happen.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

With warmer air temperatures this morning and today, the snow at low elevations could get wet enough to create a few loose wet avalanches today. These are unlikely but worth watching for them. Watch out the snow reacts under you and watch for it getting increasingly wet by afternoon.

The photo below shows balls of snow rolling downhill yesterday afternoon. If those roller balls and pinwheels start gaining size as they roll downhill, it is a sign that wet avalanches are becoming possible.

Additional Information

Skiing and riding at closed ski resorts - Some resorts allow access now, and some do not. Please check HERE for the latest info on ski area access.

New to the backcountry (including riding at closed resorts) - Watch the award-winning, 15 minute Know Before You Go video, or take the 5-part, free online-learning series.

General Announcements

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GENERAL INFO AND FAQ

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.

Observations and Avalanches

Backcountry Emergency Procedures