Nowcast - Another beautiful and chilly morning as things sit inverted with high peak temperatures around 11,000' averaging 25°F while low elevations hover in the teens. Winds blew from the north overnight with a few hours from the northeast, maxing out with gusts around 20 MPH. Another cool night certainly helped to keep the snow surface cool and soft in many areas.
Forecast - Enjoy another round of sunny skies with a high near 30 that will feel even warmer than yesterday. At upper elevations, winds should average 15 MPH blowing from the west, and gust into the low 20's.
Futurecast - We are staying hopeful for a little refresh arriving Wednesday night and bringing at least a few inches. We will keep you in the loop as things materialize.
Travel Conditions - Snow depths range from 2-4' across the Uintas, with generally supportable snow surfaces in most places due to a stout rain crust laid down before Christmas. Warm temperature and sun helped solar slopes develop a heat crust that was a centimeter or two thick by day's end, yesterday. Fortunately, polars are still cold at all elevations and provide 3-4 star riding for both skis, sleds, boards, and anything you like to slide on. Four-wheeled vehicle access to Mirror Lake Highway (HW150) is shut down, while SR-35 (Wolf Creek Pass) remains open.
On the North Slope near Whitney Basin, riding quality has significantly improved, even if your skis never touch the snow!
Low-angle, upper elevation, north facing meadows without any overhead hazard were the ticket yesterday and provided deep and supportable turning.
A few old slides were noted yesterday, but no new avalanches have been triggered or reported within the past 24 hours.
A northeast facing slope at 10,500' on Humpy Peak shoulder, where a natural avalanche occurred on Sunday during a period of intense westerly wind.
