Forecast: Ogden Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Issued by Trent Meisenheimer on
Monday morning, December 13, 2021

Areas of CONSIDERABLE danger exist on all steep northwest to east-facing slopes at the upper elevations. This terrain is to be avoided.

You can trigger 1-2' deep avalanches today while on, above, below, or adjacent to steep terrain.

Sensitive hard and soft wind drifts are likely to develop in steep terrain over the next 24 hours. Natural avalanches will be possible with extensive wind drifting.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Special Announcements

Watch out if traveling in the backcountry near ski areas. Please be aware of and respect their boundaries. Many resorts are working on opening their terrain and using explosives in those areas.

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Weather and Snow

Under mostly cloudy skies, the mountain temperatures hover in the mid to low 30's °F across the board. The southwesterly winds are screaming across the upper elevation terrain with speeds averaging 20-30 mph gusting 40-50 mph. Ogden Peak, the winds are southwest and blowing 50-55 mph, gusting 70.

As a large-scale trough approaches Northern Utah, these southerly winds are forecasted to increase later today into tomorrow ahead of the storm. The good news is this storm will likely bring 1-2 feet of new snow to the mountains starting Tuesday afternoon/evening. Stay tuned!

Unfortunately, the southerly winds have wreaked havoc on our snow surface, making the riding and turning conditions sub-par for the course.

Recent Avalanches

No new avalanches were reported from the Ogden backcountry. Many backcountry observers in the Cottonwoods continue to note booming collapses and shooting cracks. Regularly check the observations page for field observations and avalanche activity.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Increasing south to southwest winds will create sensitive and stubborn wind slabs on many steep slopes, even at the mid-elevations and on mid-slope terrain features. I anticipate drifts to be primarily west to north to easterly aspects, but they may be found around the compass. Drifts are generally round and smooth and sometimes 'scalloped.' Wind drifts may break out well above you.

Note that any triggered wind slab may step down another 12-24" into older faceted weak layering from October/November, creating a much larger avalanche. Natural avalanches may be possible today.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Thanks in large part to Doug Wewer and Derek DeBruin, we know that some old weak faceted snow exists in the higher sheltered elevations above roughly 8000' (conservative estimate). With enough wind drifting, these old layers may become reactive as weak layers for avalanching. Cracking and collapsing are signs of instability but may not always be present.

If you're heading to upper elevation slopes on the northern half of the compass, it will be essential to stick to low-angle slopes with nothing steep above you. Unfortunately, we have a dangerous snowpack right now, and we should not trust it. Avoidance is key. Remember, avalanche terrain is any slope over 30 degrees in steepness.

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.

Observations and Avalanches

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