Avalanche and Mountain Weather Advisory WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9, 2002, 7:30 AM. Good morning this is Greg Johnson with the Bear River Avalanche Information Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain weather advisory. Today is Wednesday, January 9 and it is 7:30 in the morning. This advisory expires Wednesday at midnight and will be updated Friday morning. If you are getting out, please e-mail us an observation. Please include date, location, and snow and avalanche conditions. |
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Current
Conditions: Conditions out there are anything but desirable, despite your mode of backcountry travel. Over the past few days a mixed bag of warm temperatures, strong solar radiation, and light rain created a nasty breakable crust. Yesterday we could only take the abuse for so long and turned around at 8,500 ft, but could see the shinny glaze up to about 9,200 ft on a north aspect. This crust is here to stay until at least the weekend, but don’t let it get you down to much. At least the views will be great for the next few days. This morning weather stations are reporting temperatures in the mid 20’s and the wind is light out of the northwest on Logan Peak. No new snow has fallen in the past 24 hours and most places have 3 to 4 feet of consolidated snow on the ground. |
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Snowpack Discussion: A substantial warming trend that started on Sunday quickly destabilized the snowpack, which brought a fairly extensive avalanche cycle. The height of avalanche activity peaked on Monday afternoon when the sun was cooking south aspects. Light rain fell in some locations on Monday night, but was not enough to cause widespread avalanche activity. Instead it created nasty surface crust. Yesterday mountain temperatures were very warm, but high clouds prevented the sun from destabilizing the snow above 7,000 feet. As a result there were no reported avalanches. The primary concern today will be wet avalanches below about 8,000 feet on southerly aspects steeper than about 35 degrees. Temperatures overnight did not make it below freezing above the valley inversion to about 8,000 feet. Today, the temperature will be in the lower 30’s in this elevation band and will keep the snow wet top to bottom on south aspects. Watch yourself while exiting in tight gullies and do not let anybody travel above you. Elsewhere in the mountains temperatures have chilled off enough to help stabilize the snow.
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Avalanche Danger for Wednesday: The avalanche danger above 8500 feet is LOW. Below 8500 feet, the avalanche danger is MODERATE. Natural avalanches are unlikely and human-triggered avalanches are possible. Use caution on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees on south aspects.
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Outlook for Thursday: Cooler temperatures this evening and into tomorrow will help to stabilize the snow. The avalanche danger for Thursday will likely decrease. |
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Mountain Weather: A weak storm system will pass over northern Utah today, bringing cloudy skies and light snow. Accumulations should not be more than an inch. Temperatures will be in the low 30’s at 8,000 feet and in the mid 20’s at 10,000 feet. Winds will completely shift to the northwest and be in the 10 to 20 mph ranges. Tonight we may see another inch of snowfall. Tomorrow a strong ridge of high pressure will rebuild and remain over the area until the weekend. |
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Reporting an Observation: If you are getting out, give us a call and let us know what your seeing out there. You can leave messages by calling our observer's lines at 435-797-4145 or 208-239-7651 or e-mail us at braic@cc.usu.edu. Please include date, location, and snow and avalanche conditions. The information in this advisory is from the US Forest Service and Utah State University, who are solely responsible for its content. |
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E-mail: braic@cc.usu.edu |
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