UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!
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Forecast for the Moab Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Friday morning, February 10, 2023
A MODERATE danger exists on steep slopes on all aspects above treeline that have recent deposits of wind drifted snow.
Near treeline and below, the danger is generally LOW but slabs of wind drifted snow may still be found on isolated terrain features.
Recent slabs of wind drifted snow should be relatively shallow, but even a small avalanche can be problematic in very steep, consequential terrain.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
Dave and I will be at the Geyser Pass Traihead on Saturday from 9:00 - 11:00 as part of the UAC's Trailhead Avalanche Awareness Program. Stop in and say hi!
Geyser Pass Road: The road is plowed and widened with a snow packed surface.
Grooming: Trails were groomed on Monday.
Weather and Snow
24 Hour Snow 0" 72 Hour Snow 0" Season Total Snow 186" Base Depth at Gold Basin 68"
Winds on Pre Laurel Peak N 5-15 Temp 10F
Weather
Winds have backed off while clear skies and northerly flow kept overnight temperatures cold. Look for clear skies today as a short-lived ridge of high pressure moves into the region from the southwest. Temperatures warm into the upper twenties to low thirties at most mountain locations today. By Saturday, the ridge moves on and a closed low off the Pacific coast dives south and begins to move across southern AZ bringing mostly cloudy skies and increasing southerly winds. As the low tracks NE we'll see a chance for snow on Monday with a more robust looking system lining up for Tuesday.
General Conditions
Wednesday's strong, northerly winds put the final hurt on the snow surface and you're going to have to get creative to find soft snow. Today, expect to find the full gamut of wind affected surfaces from crusted, to hard wind board, textured sastrugi, and finally, soft or hard slabs of recently deposited, wind drifted snow. Recent drifts will be mostly shallow, and rather "pockety" in nature, meaning not wide or well connected, but you may find them in unusual places, and they may be hard or soft. South facing slopes are either firm or breakable crust.
Snowpack and Weather Data
Gold Basin Storm Stake (10,000')
Gold Basin SNOTEL site (10,000')
SNOTEL site near Geyser Pass Winter Trailhead (9600')
Wind Station on Pre-Laurel Peak (11,400')
NWS forecast for the La Sal Mountains.
Recent Avalanches
No new avalanches were reported in the backcountry. See the La Sal Avalanche database here.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
With a few inches of loose snow lying around, strong northerly winds on Wednesday put wind drifted snow back on the problem type menu. Recent slabs of wind drifted snow may be hard or soft and though their distribution may be fairly widespread, they are most likely "pockety" or not wide and well connected. Look for them on the leeward sides of ridge crests and terrain features such as gully walls, sub-ridges, and behind or beneath rock outcrops. Hard slabs may be difficult to identify in the mix of textured surfaces but suspect areas that sound like a drum or that feel hollow underneath.
Wind drifted snow problems tend to settle out after a few days, but the possibility for triggering a hard slab in the high country may linger. Here is some information on hard slabs that I lifted from Drew Hardesty's Wasatch forecast yesterday:
  • Hard slabs often allow one or two riders to traverse over them before the third (fourth? fifth?) rider collapses the thinner part of the teardrop, shattering it like a pane of glass
  • They commonly fracture after you're well on to the slab
  • They have a lot of spatial variability: welded in and stable here...or initially stubborn only to fracture there
  • Cracking and collapsing may not be present
  • Hard slabs may pull back onto lower angle slopes
Additional Information
General Announcements
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 will be updated by 7:30 tomorrow morning.
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