Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Evelyn Lees
Issued by Evelyn Lees on
Wednesday morning, December 26, 2018
The avalanche danger for the Ogden mountains is MODERATE on all upper elevation slopes with recent drifts of wind blown snow. Wind drifts can also be found at the mid elevations, too, but the distribution will be more pockety, or isolated.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
The new UAC IOS mobile app is now available on the app store. Check out the new "My Weather" feature.
Weather and Snow
An additional 2 to 4” of snow fell overnight, capping off a great week of small storms. Seven day snow totals in the Ogden area mountains are 10 to 14 inches. There is excellent powder on all aspects, though a few slopes may be wind stripped down to the old crusts. Snowfall has mostly ended and skies will become partly cloudy by afternoon. Temperatures are currently in the teens to low 20s and will warm into the upper teens to mid 20s by afternoon. Winds have shifted to a northeasterly direction, averaging 15 to 20 mph along the higher ridge lines, and getting down into the mid elevations terrain. gusting to 30 mph.
Recent Avalanches
Reports from the Ogden area mountains yesterday were of pockety wind drifts or wind slabs, sensitive to ski cuts.
Ad
Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Steady ridgeline winds are forecast for the day, which will blow the low density snow into sensitive drifts or wind slabs. With faster wind speeds, these drifts will be more widespread than yesterday. Mountain terrain channels the wind in odd ways, so look for these soft to medium, rounded wind slabs or drifts on a variety of aspects and elevations. They will be on the lee sides of ridge crests and around terrain features, like gully walls, sub ridges and down into open bowls at both the mid and upper elevations. Lingering drifts from yesterday’s strange southeasterly winds hidden beneath the snow.
Out of the wind affected terrain, a few new snow sluffs can be triggered on steep slopes of all aspects. Consequences are important - even a small sluff can be serious if it takes you into trees, off a cliff or for a long ride.
General Announcements
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.