FriDay, February 25, 2000


Good morning.  This is Tom Kimbrough with the Forest Service Utah
Avalanche Forecast Center with your backcountry avalanche and mountain
weather advisory.  Today is Friday, February 25, at 7:30 in the
morning.  This forecast is sponsored by a generous donation to the
Friends of the Utah Avalanche Forecast by Black Diamond Equipment.
Check out their stores in Salt Lake and Ogden for all your needs.



Current Conditions:

So you thought it was almost spring and had just about written off
this winter.  Well, think again!  Storm totals are a whopping 41
inches at Snowbird and over 30 inches at other Cottonwood stations.
Water contents are about 2 inches.  The Ogden, Provo and Park City
Mountains received a more reasonable 18 inches with a little over an
inch of water.  This morning though, wind is the most important
factor.  Since midnight winds over the high peaks are averaging over
40 mph with gusts to 70.  These winds are drifting the copious amounts
of fresh snow at all elevations.  Turning and trail breaking
conditions will be tough, as will snowshoeing and snowmobiling.  It is
chilly, with 8,000 foot temperatures in the teens and ridge top temps
in the single digits.


Avalanche Conditions:

There is an avalanche warning in effect for the Wasatch Mountains.
Both natural and human triggered avalanches are likely today.
Fracture depths will be several feet deep and some slides may break or
step down to deeper weak layers, producing very large avalanches.
Backcountry travelers without good route finding and snow stability
skills should avoid steep backcountry slopes and avalanche run-out
areas.   Slides yesterday were very sensitive, releasing with slope
cuts, explosives and in some cases, at a distance.  They were mostly
running on Wednesdays snow surface or Mondays crust.  Several slides
from explosives did release over 5 feet deep, down to the ground, on
very steep and rocky, westerly facing slopes.  One of these was in mid
Little Cottonwood, another in Mineral Basin and another near Park
City.  Today, with continuing wind, conditions are likely to be even
more dangerous.  Also, we may see some clearing later today so heating
could release loose snow and slab avalanches on sunny slopes.


Bottom line:

The avalanche danger is HIGH on slopes steeper than about 30 degrees
and above about 7,000 feet.  Natural and human triggered avalanches
are likely.


Weather:

Yesterdays storm is now over in Wyoming but the tail end is still
producing a few snow showers in the mountains.  These will gradually
decrease this morning with partial clearing this afternoon.  Ridge top
winds are forecasted to remain in the 20 to 40 mph range from the west
northwest.  High temperatures will be near 20 at 8,000 feet and in the
teens at 10,000.  We will get a break from the storms over most of the
weekend but the pattern remains progressive with the next disturbance
due in late Sunday.


Wasatch Powderbird:

Wasatch Powderbird Guides will probably not be flying today but if
conditions improve they could get out into Cardiff, Days, Silver and
possibly Mineral.  For more information on WPG plans call 801-742-2812
or 521-6040, ext. 5280.


The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service,
which is solely responsible for its content.  This advisory describes
general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.


Ethan Green will update this advisory by 7:30 on Saturday morning.