UTAH, Jan. 5, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Avalanche Center is warning residents danger is considerable at all upper elevations Sunday.
“Slabs of wind drifted snow are the main problem to look for and avoid,” said a Facebook post from UAC Sunday morning. “We also have a considerable danger for triggering a slab avalanche on steep slopes that face east to west at the upper elevations failing on a persistent weak layer of snow found near a crust. Regardless of which one you trigger, both types of avalanches could be large enough to catch, carry and bury a person.”
The problem should be less severe at mid-elevations where the danger is moderate, the post said. The danger is low at low elevations where avalanche conditions are generally safe.
The warning comes after a “massive” avalanche early Thursday morning, a separate Facebook post said.
“A massive avalanche occurred naturally in Tanners Gulch in Little Cottonwood Canyon,” said the post. The video shared by UAC can be seen below. “The slope that failed is just out of view in the upper left, which faces east and southeast. The avalanche ran 1.5 miles and 3,800 vertical feet.”
This slope was loaded by strong northwest winds, the post said. Total storm snow measured at Alta was roughly 21.5 inches of snow containing 2.48 inches of water for the total storm.
“We estimate the starting zone for this avalanche could have easily had 3-5 inches of water weight added by the strong northwest wind and heavy snowfall,” the post said. “This is a simple formula for avalanches- wind and water! Many people have ridden aggressive lines following the New Year’s storm. However, when you see very large and destructive slides like this, it is a good reminder to be patient after big storms.”
https://www.facebook.com/Utah.Avalanche.Center/videos/866740473797535/
