Forecast for the Abajos Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Saturday morning, March 9, 2019
The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE today, and human triggered avalanches involving new and wind drifted snow are likely. Backcountry travelers today should avoid steep terrain, especailly in areas that have recent wind drifts. Wind drifted slopes are recognizable by their smooth, rounded, appearance. Cracking in the snow surface is a sign of instability. There also remains an isolated or MODERATE danger for triggering a deep and dangerous avalanche on a buried, persistent weak layer. You are most likely to encounter this problem on steep, rocky, northerly facing slopes, or in areas with a shallower snowpack.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
UAC director Mark Staples will be issuing forecasts for the La Sal and Abajo Mountains while I take a vacation to warmer climes. After that I'll be pulling a short stint in the SLC office. I want to thank Mark for coming down, and the local community for showing him around.
Weather and Snow
The Abajo Mountains picked up 6"-12" of dense, heavy snow accompanied by strong southwesterly winds yesterday. Overnight they shifted to the WNW, finally tapering off into the 10-15 mph range early this morning. Local observer Kevin Dressel reporeted being out in full conditions yesterday. They kept their slope angles low and stayed out of the North Creek drainage due to impending avalanche dagner from heavy snowfall and blowing and drifting snow. Read his observation here.
Today look for sunny skies this morning with clouds moving in later today. SW winds will be light to moderate along ridge tops and high temps will be in the low 20's. Next chance for snow looks like Mon into Tue.
Avoid wind drifted slopes like the one above. Photo taken on 03/07 by Kevin Dressel.
Snotel totals at Buckboard Flat (8924')
Snotel totals at Camp Jackson (8858')
Wind, temperature, and humidity on Abajo Peak (11,000')
National Weather Service point forecast.
Additional Information
Carry appropriate rescue gear: beacon, probe, shovel, and choose where you ride based on the avalanche forecast for the day!
General Announcements
Your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche observations HERE. You can also call me at 801-647-8896, or send me an email: [email protected].
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This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.