Current-av ZCZC SLCWRKSNW SLR TTAAOO KSLC DDHHMM GOOD AFTERNOON, THIS IS TOM KIMBROUGH WITH THE UTAH AVALANCHE FORECAST CENTER. TODAY IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1996 AT 2:30 P.M. WE ARE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOREST SERVICE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL WX SERVICE, THE STATE OF UTAH, SL COUNTY, AND THIS WEEK BY BLACK DIAMOND, DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS OF INNOVATIVE CLIMBING AND SKI EQUIPMENT, AVAILABLE AT FINE SPECIALTY SHOPS AND AT THEIR RETAIL STORE IN SLC AND THEIR NEW STORE ON WASHINGTON BLVD IN OGDEN. BOTTOM LINE: A HIGH DANGER OF HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES EXISTS ON NORTH AND EAST FACING SLOPES, STEEPER THAN ABOUT 35 DEGREES. THERE IS A MODERATE DANGER ON SOUTH AND WEST FACING 35 DEGREE SLOPES. SALT LAKE, PARK CITY, UINTAS, OGDEN, PROVO: AN EXPERIENCED AVALANCHE CONTROL WORKER WAS CAUGHT IN A CORNICE FALL TODAY AT SOLITUDE IN THE HONEYCOMB AREA. THE RESULTING SLIDE WAS HUGE, 10 FEET DEEP AND 500 FEET WIDE. HE WAS CARRIED 1,500 FEET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SLOPE AND BURIED. HE WAS LOCATED WITH A BEACON SEARCH AND WAS UNCOVERED IN LESS THAN 15 MINUETS. THEY GOT HIM BREATHING WITH CPR AND HE HAS BEEN FLOWN TO THE HOSPITAL. HONEYCOMB WAS CLOSED FOR CONTROL WORK AT THE TIME. THE MOUNTAINS CONTINUE TO BE SCARY....BACKCOUNTRY STABILITY TESTING RESULTED IN ANOTHER VERY LARGE AVALANCHE TODAY. THIS TIME IN DAY'S FORK, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE WASATCH. WHILE MOST OF THE TEST SHOTS DID NOT PRODUCE AVALANCHES, THIS ONE, ON A SLOPE OF LESS THAN 35 DEGREES STEEPNESS, PULLED OUT ADJACENT STEEPER SLOPES AND WRAPPED AROUND THE RIDGE INTO YET ANOTHER SLOPE. THE FRACTURE LINES ARE DEEP AND MORE THAN 1,000 FEET WIDE. ALTHOUGH THE SNOW IS SLOWLY BECOMING MORE STABLE, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT YOU CAN STILL GET YOURSELF KILLED OUT THERE. THE TROUBLE IS THAT IF YOU DO TRIGGER ON OF THESE DEEP SLAB AVALANCHES, IT IS VERY LIKELY TO BE UNSURVIVABLE. A SKIER TRIGGERED A CORNICE ON THE WOLVERINE CIRQUE RIDGE YESTERDAY THAT PULLED OUT A SLIDE THAT BROKE OVER 10 FEET DEEP IN PLACES. THE HAZARD MAY BE LESS WIDESPREAD THAN A FEW DAYS AGO AND THE SLIDES MAY BE GETTING HARDER TO TRIGGER BUT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE VERY SERIOUS. MANY OF OUR TRICKS FOR DETERMINING STABILITY JUST DON'T WORK WELL WITH THESE DEEP SLABS BUT THERE ARE SOME WAYS TO KEEP YOURSELF REASONABLY SAFE. SOUTH AND WEST IS BETTER THAN NORTH AND EAST BECAUSE THERE IS LESS FACETED SNOW NEAR THE GROUND. CAREFULLY WATCHING YOUR SLOPE ANGLES AND STAYING AROUND 30 DEGREES WILL KEEP YOU ON GENERALLY SAFE TERRAIN. A 30 DEGREE SLOPE IS ABOUT AS STEEP AS AN ADVANCED RUN AT A SKI AREA. YOU ALSO NEED TO WATCH WHAT SLOPE ANGLES ARE AROUND AND ABOVE YOU. FINALLY, IF YOU ARE CERTAIN THAT A SLOPE HAS RECENTLY AVALANCHED, YOU WON'T HAVE A DEEP SLAB PROBLEM. SKIING, BOARDING AND SNOWMOBILING CONDITIONS ARE GREAT. COVER IS GOOD AND TRAIL BREAKING ISN'T TOO BAD. THE SNOW IS MOSTLY SUPPORTABLE FOR SNOWMOBILES. YESTERDAY'S SUN PUT A CRUST ON SOME OF THE SOUTH FACES. THE SNOW IS FAST ENOUGH THAT LOW SLOPE ANGLES GIVE GOOD TURNING. CLEARING SKIES, FRESH POWDER AND A FULL MOON MAY MAKE FOR GOOD TOURING CONDITIONS TONIGHT. THERE ARE A FEW MORE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND. WINDS ARE BLOWING OVER THE RIDGES 15 TO 25 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST. THERE IS PLENTY OF LOOSE SNOW TO BLOW AROUND SO AVOID FRESH DRIFTS ON 35 DEGREE AND STEEPER SLOPES. SLIDES TRIGGERED IN THE NEWER SNOW COULD STEP DOWN, TRIGGERING A DEEPER RELEASE. THE CORNICES ARE HUGE AND ARE STILL VERY SENSITIVE. THE DANGER OF HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES REMAINS HIGH ON NORTH AND EAST FACING SLOPES ABOVE ABOUT 8000' AND STEEPER THAN 35 DEGREES. THE DANGER IS ALSO HIGH ON STEEP SLOPES WITH RECENT WIND DEPOSITS. STEEP SOUTH AND WEST FACES HAVE A MODERATE DANGER. MOUNTAINS WEATHER: THE CLOUDS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO CLEAR AND SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS HAVE DEPOSITED ACCUMULATIONS OF ABOUT AN INCH. WE STILL EXPECT SKIES TO CLEAR THIS EVENING. HIGHS MAY NOT HIT 10 DEGREES EVEN AT 8,000 FEET UNLESS WE SEE SOME SUN SOON. THE WINDS ON THE RIDGES ARE STILL 15 TO 25 FROM THE NORTHWEST, GIVING A VICIOUS WIND CHILL. FOR THE WEEKEND, SATURDAY SHOULD BE BEAUTIFUL BUT STILL COLD IN THE MORNING. WARMER AIR WILL START MOVING LATER IN THE DAY AS A WEAK STORM APPROACHES FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. READ WHEN POWDERBIRDS ARE FLYING: WASATCH POWDERBIRD GUIDES HAVE A TELEPHONE RECORDING THAT TELLS YOU WHERE THEY SKIED TODAY AND WHERE THEY ARE PLANNING TO SKI TOMORROW. THE SALT LAKE NUMBER IS 521-6040, EXT 5280. READ WHEN THERE'S TIME: ALSO, YOU CAN ACCESS THIS ADVISORY ON THE INTERNET AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS INCLUDING: HTTP://WWW.CSAC.ORG. CSAC STANDS FOR CYBERSPACE SNOW AND AVALANCHE CENTER. CHECK IT OUT. YOU CAN ALSO SEE OUR ADVISORY AT HTTP://WWW.MET.UTAH.EDU. TO REPORT SNOW CONDITIONS OR AVALANCHE ACTIVITY, PLEASE CALL 524-5304, OR IF YOU'RE CALLING LONG DISTANCE, 1-800-662-4140. FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CALL 364-1591 EVELYN LEES WILL UPDATE THIS FORECAST BY 7:30 ON SATURDAY MORNING. THANKS FOR CALLING. KIMBROUGH NNNN [Submitted by: Meteorology Data Account (ldm@atmos.met.utah.edu) Fri, 2 Feb 1996 15:50:08 -0700]