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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon on
Saturday morning, March 8, 2025
Heads up.... recent storm snow gets a blast of warmth and strong spring sunshine today and that one-two punch may help reactivate several weak layers now buried deeply in our snowpack-
In the wind zone at and above treeline, CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists on leeward slopes, especially those facing the north half of the compass where human-triggered, storm snow and wind-drifted avalanches are LIKELY. Remember... any slide triggered in steep, rocky terrain with a weak, shallow snowpack will result in a deep, dangerous avalanche.
In addition, significant amounts of storm snow blankets our mountains from tip to tail, offering a slightly more straightforward and predictable avalanche dragon and MODERATE avalanche danger. But don't let your guard down... human triggered avalanches packing a punch are POSSIBLE, especially on sustained, steep slopes.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
Summit County SAR is conducting operations near the Hoyt Peak area today in search of a missing snow-biker. We ask that you please avoid this area so teams can accomplish their mission.
Did you know.... March kicks off our Spring Campaign? Well, if everyone in Utah’s backcountry community donates the cost of something they regularly enjoy on an adventure—like a dawn patrol burrito, a backpack snack, or post-ride trailhead drinks—we could fund not just one but two forecasters for the entire season! More deets here.
Weather and Snow
Nowcast- With clear skies and a bright sliver of this morning's Worm Moon overhead, temperatures start their day in the single digits and low teens. North and northeast winds blow in the 30's near the high peaks as storminess slides to the south and east of us. This weeks storm totals are impressive, especially for the south half of the range with nearly two feet of snow, while the North Slope lags in the race with barely half that amount (see detailed storm totals below). On a go-anywhere base, riding and turning conditions are dense and surfy .
Forecast- A stunning day is on tap with mostly sunny skies and northerly winds blowing in the mid 20's along the ridges and 30's near the high peaks. Temperatures climb into the low 30's and overnight lows dip into the teens.
Futurecast- Sunday offers rinse and repeat weather with slightly warmer temperatures. More storminess is on tap for Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday with a weak impulse that dives south, followed by a more significant system to wrap up the work week.
Storm totals-
Daniels and Strawberry clock in with 18" snow and 2.0" SWE.
Upper Currant Creek and Mill Hollow register 17" of snow and I suspect closer to 1.7" H2O.
Trial Lake... 15" of snow and 1.5" H2O
Chalk Creek delivers 6" snow with .70" SWE
Brock B seen here toe tappin' and product testin'... I suspect the recent storm received a five star Yelp review :)
Recent Avalanches
No significant avalanches reported since February 25th, but the image above from Gold Hill, depicts exactly the type of slide we could trigger today in steep, rocky, wind drifted terrain.
Also, no shortage of good reading from across the range and beyond, here.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The recent storm is gonna put our weak layers to the test, especially where the snowpack has remained thin and sugary all year, like slopes that have avalanched multiple times. Problem is, everything is gonna look white and uniform and feel super solid under our sled, board, or skis. So, I'm approaching steep, shady slopes with a "guilty until proven otherwise" mindset. I'm keeping it tight and simply avoiding shallower areas of the snowpack like steep, rocky terrain where I'm more likely to trigger an avalanche that breaks deeper and wider than I might expect. In addition, if I decide to step out, I'm gonna make sure the slopes I'm choosing don't have any overhead hazard.
North of Race Track Bowl, above is an example of a repeater slope... meaning it's avalanched several times this winter. Left image illustrates the precursor... this slope slid during the Christmas cycle and left behind a shallow, weak snowpack. On the right, a slide triggered low on the slope on Feb. 22nd with nearly the same dimensions and snow characteristics... not what we expect for this deep in the season.
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
A 24 hour data dump from Lofty Lake Peak (11,186') illustrating shift in wind direction, velocity, and duration.
Yesterday, I found recent wind drifts rather stubborn and unreactive, but the Uinta's are a big place and I bet somewhere there's a drift that'll come to life with our additional weight. With a bump in northeast winds (unusual wind direction), look for drifts in peculiar locations and aspects with a westerly component to their orientation. I'm looking for and avoiding fat, rounded pieces of snow, and my strategy is simple... lose a little elevation and I lose the problem.
Avalanche Problem #3
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
There's alot of storm snow and a myriad of old, hard, slick surfaces which provide an efficient surface for avalanches to run on. Today's strong sunshine is gonna change the stability equation and fresh storm snow will get touchy in a hurry. I suspect sustained steep slopes is where the rubber hits the road and that's exactly the kind of terrain where even a small slide can catch me off-guard and knock me off my feet.
Additional Information
The Camp Steiner snow site, just east of Scout Peak and south of Lofty Peak, was upgraded with a new snow sensor and is cranking out accurate snow depths just in time for the first spring storm! This is a great weather station that provides information specific to the north slope, high-country, and Mirror Lake environs. You can access all the stations across the range, here.. click on western Uinta tab.
Installing the new snow depth sensor at Camp Steiner just below Scout Peak. When you bring your brother to work, you have to put him to work -- Thanks for the install, Kyle!
General Announcements
We are always looking for snow and avalanche observations or just general riding conditions. In the meantime reach out to us with questions, concerns, or if you see anything in your travels! Contact us directly through the info below:
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. This forecast was issued on Saturday, March 8th at 03:30 AM and expires 24 hours after it was issued.
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