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Forecast for the Moab Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath for
Sunday, April 7, 2024
The avalanche danger is generally LOW. Small avalanches remain possible on isolated terrain features or in areas of extreme terrain. Be on the lookout for fresh, shallow deposits of wind drifted snow.
There are many slick, hard surfaces out there and slide for life conditions may exist. Stay situationally aware and consider carrying tools for self arrest if venturing into larger, steeper terrain.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
Road Conditions: The lower end of the Geyser Pass road is now mostly dry dirt. Melting snow on the upper end will make for sloppy and muddy conditions later in the day.
Grooming: The trail into Gold Basin was last rolled out on Monday.
Weather and Snow
6:00 a.m. Snow and Weather Data
24 Hour Snow 2"? 72 Hour Snow 2"? Season Total Snow 192" Depth at Gold Basin 61"
Winds on Pre-Laurel Peak: WNW 15-20 Temp 8° F Percent of Normal: 125%
Weather
The storm system has finally exited to the east leaving a cold air mass in its wake. 10,000' temps are in the single digits and a frigid wind is blowing out of the NW. Look for mostly sunny skies today, light to moderate westerly winds, and high temps in the upper 20's. Temps will remain cool the next few days, and we should see some clouds on Monday as a weak system passes by to the south. Things begin to gradually warm up on Tuesday followed by progressively warmer temps and sunny skies each day.
General Conditions
With all the wind and intense, but short bursts of precip, it's a little hard to tell how much snow we picked up yesterday. Comparing sites, I'm seeing anywhere from a trace to 2" with some crazy water amounts at the Geyser Pass Trailhead SNOTEL that I'm going to ignore. A few intrepid souls braved conditions up there yesterday and they reported about what you'd expect - a little dust, crusts, hard frozen surfaces, pooled graupel, and lots of wind affect. Some creamy snow can be found in sheltered locations. I'll be headed up today to have a look around but my expectations are low.
I snapped a few pics from my driving tour on Friday during the height of the wind event.
Desert dust:
Mountains obscured by a dusty haze:
The southeast sides of Mounts Tukuhnikivatz (left) and Peale. I was scoping these for their corn potential later in the week. Dust may have stifled that a bit.
Upper slopes on the SE face of Mount Peale (12,700').
Snowpack and Weather Data
Gold Basin Storm Stake (10,000')
Gold Basin SNOTEL site (10,000')
SNOTEL site near Geyser Pass Winter Trailhead (9600')
Wind Station on Pre-Laurel Peak (11,400')
NWS forecast for the La Sal Mountains.
Recent Avalanches
Click here to see the La Sal avalanche database. Prudent backcountry travelers will want to know what slopes have previously avalanched, as some of these slopes hold shallow, weak snow.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Most terrain has LOW danger and the snow surface seems to be so thoroughly worked over that I think you'll be hard pressed to find an avalanche. That said, strong winds were doing their best to move snow around and there may be some isolated, shallow slabs of wind drifted snow lurking about. These would be most problematic in areas of extreme terrain where a shallow slab release could sweep you off your feet and carry you over a cliff. Keep an eye out for smooth, rounded, or lense looking areas of wind deposited snow.
Also of note: Dave and I continue to find shallow areas with poor snowpack structure, or in other words, weak faceted snow under old wind slabs. More the exception than the rule, you can nevertheless find this structure in repeat running slide paths, along wind swept ridges, and along wind scoured slope margins near rocky outcrops. If you are getting into higher, more extreme terrain, it's worth poking around and looking for this weak structure, and maybe reconsidering your line if you find it.
Slick, hard snow surfaces exist and slides for life are possible. Stay aware of your situation and your exposure. Consider carrying tools for self arrest if you plant to venture into larger, steeper terrain.
Additional Information
Want some more insight into the La Sal Mountains as well as the communal impacts of a tragic avalanche? Check out the latest UAC podcast with forecaster Eric Trenbeath where he discusses the range, it's often treacherous snowpack, and how the devastating avalanche in February, 1992, affected the Moab community.
Our avalanche beacon checker sign and beacon training park are up and running. A huge thanks to Talking Mountain Yurts for sponsoring those this season!
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General Announcements
This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
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