Wasatch Cache and Uinta National Forests

In partnership with: Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center and Utah State Parks.

HOLIDAY Avalanche advisory

Monday, February 17, 2003

Good Morning. This is Craig Gordon with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your avalanche and mountain weather advisory for the Western Uinta Mountains including but not limited to the terrain surrounding Chalk Creek, Smith-Moorehouse, the Mirror Lake Highway, and Woodland. Recent snowpack observations on the Evanston side of the range as well as near Daniels indicate a weaker snowpack than what we’re seeing in the Central Uintas and the avalanche danger could be slightly higher in these regions.

This advisory is made possible through a generous grant provided by Utah State Parks and will be available for the rest of the winter on weekends and holidays.

Today is Monday, February 17, 2003, and it’s 7:30 in the morning.

Current Conditions:

Skies cleared out early this morning allowing temperatures to drop into the low teens at most mountain top locations. Winds are generally out of the northwest at speeds of 10-20 mph along the ridges. It looks like we picked up anywhere from 4”-8” of dense, new snow in the past 24 hrs. Much of the upper elevation terrain got wind hammered yesterday, though good riding and turning conditions can still be found on mid elevation, wind-sheltered slopes.

Avalanche Conditions:

I‘d like to extend my greatest sympathy to the family and friends of Alan Davis who was tragically killed in an avalanche on Gobbler’s Knob in Mill Creek Canyon on Saturday. The avalanche occurred on a steep (40 degree), rocky, north-northwest facing aspect at about 10,100’ in elevation. This skier triggered avalanche broke about a foot deep and 100’ wide, but as it descended the slope it quickly fanned out to about 350’ in width involving the entire bowl which accounted for a large volume of snow. The skier was carried 1500’ vertical feet down slope and buried in a gully 4’ under the debris. The weak layer involved was very weak, depth hoar snow near the ground.

This unfortunate accident happened to a very experienced backcountry party who were equipped with all the right safety gear. For more details you can go to www.avalanche.org and click on accidents.

Yesterday the hurricane-like winds blew for most of the day and moved a lot of snow around. Due to the strength and duration of the winds, sensitive slabs have been formed in some unusual locations. I’d be suspicious of cross loading that would have occurred around terrain features such as chutes, gullies, and sub-ridges as well as mid-slope loading.

In many areas throughout the range our snowpack remains unusually shallow and weak. We now have a hard slab resting on weak snow and this is a dangerous combination in the snowpack. Hard slab can give you a false sense of security because it feels strong under your machine or skis. However, this often allows a person to get well out onto the slope before it fails. Once initiated, avalanches have the possibility of breaking into deeper, buried weak layers today. This combination would produce a large, dangerous, and possibly unsurvivable avalanche.

I’d be leery of terrain that has a weak, shallow snowpack. Steep, rocky areas and terrain that has already avalanched this season continue to be likely suspect slopes.

If your travels take you into steep terrain today continue to be thorough with your safe travel rituals. Ride or ski a slope one at a time, get out of the way and into a safe location at the bottom of the slope, and always keep an eye on your partner. In addition, carry the appropriate rescue gear such as an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe and know how to use these tools.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE today on any steep slope with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. Human triggered avalanches are probable.

There is also a MODERATE or localized danger of triggering a deep, hard slab avalanche on northwest through east facing aspects above 9,000’ in elevation on slopes that are steeper than about 35 degrees. Dangerous human triggered avalanches are possible.

Mountain Weather:

A couple of weak weather systems will cross the region tonight and on Tuesday. Today we can expect increasing clouds with light snow developing late in the day. High temperatures at 8,000’ will be in the mid to upper 20’s and at 10,000’ near 20 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the mid teens. Winds will be out of the west and northwest at speeds of 10-20 mph along the ridges. On Tuesday light snow showers are forecast, though snow accumulations will only be in the 1”-2” range. Wednesday we should see a bit of a break during the day with a stronger system moving in late in the day and lingering into Thursday. We could see a decent shot of snow out of this system, though it looks fairly short-lived.

General Information:

If you’re getting out and about please let us know what you’re seeing, especially if you see or trigger an avalanche. Call 1-800-662-4140, or 801-231-2170, or email to [email protected] or fax to 801-524-6301. Your observations could help to save someone’s life. Many thanks to those of you who called in accurate and timely snowpack information this week!

We will be offering free snowmobile specific avalanche education this year. To schedule a talk and or a field day please call 801-231-2170.

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.

I will update this advisory by 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2003.

Thanks for calling!