24 Hour Snow: 0" 72 Hour Snow: 0" Season Total Snow: 21" Depth at Gold Basin: 14"

Winds on Pre-Laurel Peak: W 5-10 Temp: 33° F

Weather

It is 33° F this morning under scattered clouds in Gold Basin. High temperatures will reach 37°F, and winds will blow out of the west at 10 MPH with gusts up to 25 MPH. A cold front on a northwest flow is bringing much-needed precipitation and colder temperatures to the mountains of northern Utah and Colorado. Unfortunately, the Moab area will remain high and dry with increasing winds and partly cloudy skies today. Temperatures will remain warm later this week with weekend highs in the low 40s°F at 10,000 feet.

General Conditions

Thin and variable best describe conditions. Sunshine and warm temperatures have taken a toll on solar aspects, and more and more bare ground is being exposed each day. Relentless winds from the northwest have hammered exposed slopes facing west through north, and many of these slopes above the tree line are scoured down to the rocks. Most notable from my travels yesterday were "sandbox" type conditions on west and north faces. I found the snowpack to be completely faceted through on these slopes. The recycled "loud powder" does make for nice turning if you can manage not to hit any rocks. Chris Benson went up around Mount Peale from the south side on Sunday and found firm, spring-like conditions on solar aspects that still hold snow. He did note the presence of underlying weak, faceted snow and some areas with hard, overriding wind slabs, but they are far and few between. Read his observation here.

A look at the Tuk ridgeline shows a wind-ravaged alpine. (Chris Benson photo).

Snowpack and Weather Data

NEW! Gold Basin webcam storm stake

Gold Basin Storm Stake (10,000')