Dangerous avalanche conditions developed on many slopes this weekend. Utah Avalanche Center forecaster Trent Meisenheimer says the southerly winds wreaked havoc across the upper elevations.
“We saw winds averaging out of the south, 20 to 30 miles per hour, gusting into the 50s, 60s and even 70 miles per hour across upper peaks. The mountains did pick up a trace to a few inches of snow,” Meisenheimer said.
He said backcountry observers reported isolated shallow wind-drifted snow on the ridgelines.
“We saw a natural avalanche cycle within the storm snow during all this high wind, and there's probably still some avalanches happening now with how much wind we're getting,” he said. “Backcountry observers noticed collapsing and cracking within the snowpack, which is a huge red flag.”
And the recent high pressure did not help the situation.
“Which will continue to be this week, faceted snow, or persistent weak layer that we're going to talk about, unfortunately non-stop for the next few weeks,” he said. “But when we don't have it snow for almost 15 days, our old snow surface gets very weak. And any time we get weak snow with heavier, more dense snow on top, it equals avalanches. So not a great setup for us right now.”
To get rid of that weak persistent layer, he said it means more snow and time.
“What we need now is for it to keep snowing,” he said. “If we continue to make it snow that snow that is weak and sugary at the base will eventually bond, but it doesn't happen very quick. It took 15 to 20 days to make it weak. It's going to take equally long to get it to heal up, unless we just see some massive storm that just comes in and wipes all the snow out, and we just reset our snowpack. But I'm not seeing anything like that. So, the problem’s going to be with us for a while, at least through the New Year, would be my guess.”
The wind blew so hard he said there are some spots that are wind stripped and others are wind loaded. Meisenheimer said, to stay safe, watch for pillows of snow and drifts which are avalanche prone.
