UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon for
Sunday, November 27, 2016

In the wind zone, at and above treeline, pockets of CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exist and human triggered avalanches are likely, especially on steep, wind drifted, shady slopes facing the north half of the compass.

At mid elevations you'll find MODERATE avalanche danger and human triggered avalanches are possible on steep slopes with recent deposits of wind drifted snow.

Out of the wind and in low elevation terrain the avalanche danger is generally LOW.

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Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements

The headline news is... increasing avalanche danger the next couple of days. Click here to view a great synopsis from our partners at the National Weather Service detailing the storms headed our way.

Heads up- both Wolf Creek Pass and Mirror Lake Highway are still passable and access to avalanche terrain is relatively easy. Remember... just cause you can see your rig from a ridgeline doesn't necessarily make the terrain any safer and triggering even a small slide this time of year will reveal stumps, rocks, and general nastiness, easily ruining your day or perhaps your season.

Weather and Snow

Snow began falling around 2:00 this morning and it quickly stacked up. The North Slope through about Trial Lake received close to 5" and the further south you travel amounts are cut in half. Southwest winds however aren't discriminating and they're uniform across the range, cranking in the 40's and 50's since yesterday afternoon. Total snow depths are in the 12"-18" range and in general it's still super shallow, with just barely enough snow to recreate on.

Real time wind, snow, and temperatures for the Uinta's are found here.


It's starting to fill in, but you gotta think light. Meadow skipping is still your best bet. Ted was in Whitney Basin yesterday and as usual, has a great assessment of the conditions found here. Ted Scroggin photo.

Recent Avalanches

No new avalanche activity to report.

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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
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Description

Until now, avalanche conditions have been pretty straight-forward and rather benign because of the obvious... we were lacking a snowpack! Well that's all about to change as a series of storms is gonna turn our total snow depths from zero to hero. What this means is, increasing avalanche danger the next couple of days and it's about to get tricky. With strong winds ripping along the ridges and fresh snow to work with, dense, cohesive slabs or wind drifts are already forming on the leeward side of upper elevation ridges, especially slopes facing the north half of the compass. Today's slabs are going to be reactive to the additional weight of a person and have the possibility to break deeper and wider than you might expect. If your travels take you into upper elevation terrain, you'll want to look for and avoid any fat looking piece of snow, especially if it feels or sounds hollow like a drum.

Shooting cracks like this, collapsing, or loud whoomphing sounds are natures big red flags. Weston was in Upper Weber Canyon when he snapped this image yesterday. More on his travels here. Weston Deutschlander​ photo.

Additional Information

Last night's storm is winding down, but we might still see an additional inch or two before things dry out. Westerly winds remain strong, blowing in the 30's and 40's along the ridges. High temperatures reach into the mid 20's. A short-lived break for midday, then the next storm arrives this afternoon. Although not a particularly strong storm, a colder airmass will bring lower snow densities and overnight lows in the teens and single digits. Monday into Tuesday is the main event, with periods of intense snowfall possible mainly Monday mid-morning through early evening.

General Announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can call me directly at 801-231-2170, email [email protected]

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

The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated on Monday November 28th.