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Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Greg Gagne
Issued by Greg Gagne on
Friday morning, December 13, 2019
The avalanche hazard is CONSIDERABLE at the upper elevations, and mid-elevations facing northwest, through north, and east where sensitive storm snow and wind drifts can be found. On upper elevation northerly slopes, weak faceted snow down near the ground has been overloaded by the storm snow and wind drifts, where any avalanches may be 2-3' deep.
Avoid being on or underneath slopes steeper than 30 degrees on these mid and upper elevation aspects.
Mid elevation aspects facing west through southeast, and low elevations, have a Moderate avalanche hazard.
Fortunately, the dense snow provides excellent riding conditions on low-angled, wind-sheltered terrain.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
Thanks to the generous support of our Utah ski resorts and Ski Utah, we have discount lift tickets available. All proceeds support the UAC. Get your tickets HERE.
Consider taking an avalanche class, there are many different options. Click on the Education menu for a full list of classes from the UAC and other providers. Check out the Know Before You Go eLearning program for free, online, avalanche classes.
Weather and Snow
Current Weather
- Temperatures in the Ogden mountains are in the mid 20's F with some low elevation trailheads above freezing.
- Winds are westerly, averaging in the teens and 20's mph at the mid elevations, with gusts in the 20's and 30's mph. Even stronger gusts along upper elevation ridgelines, including 77 mph atop Mt. Ogden.
- Snowfall totals are 4-6" overnight, with 24-hour totals of 8-13" containing 1.5-2" of water.
For today, snowfall should wind down by late morning, with an additional 2-4" of snow expected by the early afternoon. Temperatures will range through the 20's F and low 30's F. Winds are westerly and will remain moderate, with strong gusts. At the mid elevations winds will average in the teens with gusts in the 30's mph. Along upper elevation ridgelines winds will average in the 20's mph with gusts in the 50's mph. Snowfall should begin to increase later today, bringing periods of heavy snowfall overnight into Saturday, along with continued strong winds.
Recent Avalanches
No new avalanches were reported in the backcountry. We did receive two excellent observations from Ben Lomond on Thursday which described dense warm snow at the lower elevations that appeared to bond well to the old snow surface. You can read all observations for the Ogden mountains by clicking here.
On Saturday in the Bear River Range just north of the border into Idaho, two snowmobilers were caught and carried with one partial burial in an avalanche but ended up ok. INFO.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
There are locations in the Ogden mountains where there is a layer of weak faceted snow down near the ground. This can be found on northerly aspects above about 8500'.
This layer of old faceted snow has been found near Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, on Ben Lomond and in the Monte Cristo area.
Over the past 24 hours, we have stressed this weak layer with an additional 8-12" of snow containing nearly 2" of water as well as strong winds depositing wind-drifted snow on these slopes.
Click on the button below for more details on how this layer formed and where you can find it.
Click here for info about this layer and where it exists
Below is a video from Doug Wewer on Ben Lomond Peak. We will be watching this layer near the ground to see snowfall from this storm adds enough stress to this layer to cause avalanches on it. It is not widespread but has been found in enough places that we can't discount it.
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Strong westerly winds at the mid and upper elevations have created dense wind slabs, and observations from Thursday indicated some cracking in fresh wind drifts and cornices. Although these fresh drifts will mostly be found on leeward aspects facing north through southeast, strong winds can often be channeled through terrain features and you may find wind drifts on any aspect. Cornices may be sensitive and can break back much further than expected. Avoid being on any slopes steeper than 30 degrees that are wind-loaded. The photo below shows cracking in wind-drifted snow - the best evidence of sensitive wind drifts and cornices. (Mark White)
Avalanche Problem #3
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
You can expect to find sensitive storm snow at the mid and upper elevations, especially during any period of higher precipitation. Storm snow instabilities typically diminish quickly (ie a few hours), however the existing snowpack that the storm snow landed upon had developed weaknesses at the surface, including surface hoar and near-surface facets, and this may allow the storm snow to remain sensitive much longer. Warm temperatures and winds ahead of this storm likely eroded these weaknesses at the low and mid elevations, but they may have persisted at the upper elevations.
Additional Information
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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