CO Warning

[homerjay]

We have issued an AVALANCHE WARNING for the Northern Mountians.
Snowfall
and strong winds have combined to raise the avalanche danger to HIGH.
Winds
are stronger than forecast in the N mtns, and don't look like they will
slow
down until tonight. In Summit Co, sustained ridgetop winds are
westerly and
upwards of 50 mph. From the Warning:



THE BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE DANGER NEAR AND ABOVE TIMBERLINE IS
CURRENTLY RATED HIGH. UNSTABLE SNOW SLABS ARE PROBABLE IN AVALANCHE
TERRAIN. NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE AND HUMAN TRIGGERED
AVALANCHES ARE PROBABLE...LARGE...DEEP AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE. WELL
BELOW TIMBERLINE THE DANGER IS RATED MODERATE...MEANING NATURAL
AVALANCHES ARE UNLIKELY BUT HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID TRAVELING IN OR BELOW
AVALANCHE TERRAIN. USE EXTRA CAUTION ON SLOPES THAT ARE 30 DEGREES
OR STEEPER...AND AVOID TRAVELING DIRECTLY BELOW STEEP TERRAIN THAT
IS NOT HEAVILY FORESTED.

So who wants to hit some gnarly bc lines tomorrow?

[Pinner]

I'm ready dude!

Fifteen or so years in the Colorado backcountry and I've never been buried. This is the year I pop my cherry, baby!

Can I bring my dog?

[Storm11]

Can I bring my dog?

Ouch...that one was below the belt

[Ireallyliketoski2]

I always think of the song Take Warning by Operation Ivy whenever they issue an avalanche warning.

[Woodsy]

We have issued an AVALANCHE WARNING for the Northern Mountians.
Snowfall
and strong winds have combined to raise the avalanche danger to HIGH.
Winds
are stronger than forecast in the N mtns, and don't look like they will
slow
down until tonight. In Summit Co, sustained ridgetop winds are
westerly and
upwards of 50 mph. From the Warning:



THE BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE DANGER NEAR AND ABOVE TIMBERLINE IS
CURRENTLY RATED HIGH. UNSTABLE SNOW SLABS ARE PROBABLE IN AVALANCHE
TERRAIN. NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE AND HUMAN TRIGGERED
AVALANCHES ARE PROBABLE...LARGE...DEEP AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE. WELL
BELOW TIMBERLINE THE DANGER IS RATED MODERATE...MEANING NATURAL
AVALANCHES ARE UNLIKELY BUT HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID TRAVELING IN OR BELOW
AVALANCHE TERRAIN. USE EXTRA CAUTION ON SLOPES THAT ARE 30 DEGREES
OR STEEPER...AND AVOID TRAVELING DIRECTLY BELOW STEEP TERRAIN THAT
IS NOT HEAVILY FORESTED.

So who wants to hit some gnarly bc lines tomorrow?

[Crocdundee]
thats nah a warnin.....

An Avalanche Warning remains in effect for the northern Utah mountains and extreme southeast Idaho through Friday morning. Heavy snow, strong winds and warming temperatures have created a High to Extreme avalanche danger. Avalanches are occurring at unusually low elevations in addition to the more typical mid and upper elevations. Both natural and human triggered slides are certain.



Current Conditions:

Snow continues to fall in the mountains this morning, with storm totals now in the 2 to 4 foot range. The snow water equivalents are astounding – averaging 3” to over 6”. Winds were strong from the southwest yesterday, averaging 20 to 40 mph. Recently, they have shifted to the northwest and are in the 15 to 30 mph range, with gusts in the 40’s. Temperatures have warmed 5 to 10 degrees since yesterday morning, and are in the mid to upper 20’s. The warm temperatures and wind inverted the snow, putting a layer of dense heavy snow on top of yesterday’s lighter snow.



Avalanche Conditions:

This storm has slammed the buried weak layers with just about every known contributory factor there is to cause avalanches – lots of snow, enormous water weights, warming temperatures, wind and rain falling on snow at the lower elevations. By yesterday afternoon, widespread avalanche activity was reported from throughout the northern Utah mountains. There was natural activity, skier triggered slides and remotely triggered slides. Some slides were running in the new snow only, while others were breaking 2 to 4’ deep into the old November weak layers.



The weak layers of surface hoar and facets are widespread. They are weakest at the lower and mid elevations, and in normally wind sheltered areas. Many slides have been occurring in terrain between 6,000 to 8,000 feet, in addition to in the upper elevations. Even in low elevation terrain, stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than about 30 degrees as it is possible to trigger slides from a distance. Large natural avalanches are occurring in some areas, so stay out from under steep slopes and avoid runout zones.



Ice Climbers – most northern Wasatch ice climbs are in avalanche tracks. With natural avalanche activity likely, ice climbing is not recommended.



Bottom Line (Salt Lake, Park City, Provo and Ogden area mountains):

The avalanche danger is HIGH to EXTREME on and below all slopes steeper than about 35 degrees, especially with recent deposits of wind drifted snow or areas receiving rain on snow. Both human triggered and natural avalanches are certain above about 6000 feet. Slopes of about 30 to 35 degrees have a CONSIDERABLE danger. Backcountry travel is not recommended.

NOW THATS A WARNIN![/crocdundee]

[Below Zero]

So now we are fighting about which state has better avy warnings! The drama never ceases!

[basom]

So now we are fighting about which state has better avy warnings! The drama never ceases!

as an independant arbiter i have to say that the posted utah forcast is more comprensive. there is no fighting, it is plain.

stay out of the BC or lose your salery, i don't care what the union says.

[cmsummit]

Just got off the hill at Breck and it was facking brutal. Gusts were in excess of 75mph at the top of the Mercury chair, can't believe they're still running it. Only did four runs cause skiing peak 9 sucks(as does most of Breck). Looks like most of the chairs in Summit are shut down today. It's still snowing and should be excellent tomorrow.

[Below Zero]

there is no fighting

I know, I just thought it was funny.

[iskibc]

Just got off the hill at Breck and it was facking brutal. Gusts were in excess of 75mph at the top of the Mercury chair, can't believe they're still running it. Only did four runs cause skiing peak 9 sucks(as does most of Breck). Looks like most of the chairs in Summit are shut down today. It's still snowing and should be excellent tomorrow.

Heh. Even when it snows in scummit the skiing sucks.

[homerjay]

What I posted was just an excerpt, I'm sure there's a more verbose warning on the website. So there.

[cmsummit]

Heh. Even when it snows in scummit the skiing sucks.

At least it's snowing.

[swiss powda]

What I posted was just an excerpt, I'm sure there's a more verbose warning on the website. So there.

Which website do you use? The CAIC was updated Wednesday and doesn't include any of those fun warnings.

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanc...rea=1&nav=last

[homerjay]

Which website do you use? The CAIC was updated Wednesday and doesn't include any of those fun warnings.

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/avalanc...rea=1&nav=last

that was from my email.

go to 'forecasts' -> 'warnings'

Join the Friends of the CAIC, JONG!

[iskibc]

They closed down Loveland ski area due to 90 mph winds . Must be brutal up on the divide.

[summit]

Skied Keystone today.

Northpeak and Outback were shutdown and the East half of the frontside was shutdown due to high winds. It is seriously insante.

I don't see it on CAIC's website but they haven't updated for today. That warning must be right. THE AVALANCHE DANGER IS DEFINATELY UP THERE.

Inbounds at Keystone I triggered a 10ft slough slide on a short pitch early in the day. Throughout the day after that I observed extensive whoomfing and lots of shooting cracks even on flat catwalks that were loaded. There were several gladed areas we did not ski because of this obvious danger.

The snow today was highly variably from knee deep soft to ankle deep impossible windbuff to scoured hardpack.

[pde20]

Following up on basom's comment, and it is not a competitive thing, I agree the UT Avalanche center and staff put out better statements than the CAIC -- though the actual warnings are pretty standard and comparable. Used to live in UT, now in CO, but check each pretty much daily and the difference is noticeable.

It is most noticeable on the daily briefs when nothing is really going on, but ones like yestereday/today where every interesting meteorogical and snow science process is going on, I think that Tremper, Lees, Hardesty etc. make their statements incredibly informative, educational, and most of the time funny in some way. I think that they also tend to be much easier to read and absorb than the CAIC ones which can seem a little skimpy (? word choice).

Lastly, and this is with full acknoledgement that you can call the phone number with the recorded message every morning, but the CAIC is frequently 24 hours behind in updating the web site, which can be a little frustrating for thos os us who are visual learners. POints to Homerjay's conclusion that more of the BC using public (including maggots) need to join CAIC to get them up to par!!

[Woodsy]

I think that Tremper, Lees, Hardesty etc. make their statements incredibly informative, educational, and most of the time funny in some way.

I also think its awesome that one of those folks ( or MacClean) calls into KRCL and KCPW every morning around 8 and does the whole schpiel similar but varied from the posted, also they answer questions from the DJs which is cool because a couple of the public radio DJs are bc savy.

[iskibc]

I hate it when it does this:



However, this is always welcome (from NOAA):

"REPORTED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE STEAMBOAT ZONE RANGE FROM 20 TO
35 INCHES. UP TO 20 INCHES OF NEW SNOW HAS BEEN REPORTED IN SUMMIT
COUNTY."