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Forecast for the Moab Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Monday morning, March 16, 2026

A MODERATE avalanche danger remains on steep slopes above treeline that face NW-N-E. Human-triggered, hard slab avalanches 2–4 feet deep, failing on a buried persistent weak layer, remain POSSIBLE in these areas. If triggered, these avalanches could step down and involve the entire season’s snowpack.

The likelihood for triggering this type of avalanche continues to decrease but the consequences remain the same. Likely trigger points include shallow rocky areas, thin spots along slope margins or convexities, or in areas of very steep, rocky, radical terrain.

Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements

Geyser Pass Road Conditions: The road is melted down to dirt, expect wet and muddy conditions as the day heats up.

Grooming: No grooming is scheduled. Cover is thin, and conditions are rough.

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Weather and Snow

24 Hour Snow: 0" 72 Hour Snow: 0" Season Total Snow: 75" Depth at Gold Basin: 30"

Winds on Pre-Laurel Peak: NW 20-30 Temp: 24°F

Weather

Cloudy skies this morning should gradually clear through the day. Windy conditions this morning should also taper off and high temperatures will approach 40°F at 10,000 feet. A warming trend lies ahead with potential record breaking heat later in the week.

General Conditions

Mixed bag, spring like conditions are in effect and snow cover is dwindling, especially on south aspects. Cloudy and breezy conditions won't make for optimum corn conditions today I'm afraid. The threat from avalanches involving a persistent weak layer continues to decrease but poor snowpack structure remains on northerly aspects. The rewards don't quite seem worth the risk.

See all Moab observations here.

Snowpack and Weather Data

Wind Station on Pre-Laurel Peak (11,400')
NWS forecast for the La Sal Mountains.
Recent Avalanches
No recent avalanches have been observed. The avalanche database has been updated to include all observed avalanches from the last cycle. These are all great examples of the type of avalanche that are possible to trigger.
Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Buried layers of weak, faceted snow continue to plague our snowpack near and above treeline on northerly facing slopes. Above treeline, thick, hard slabs 2-4 feet thick sit on top of these persistent weak layers. Although the likelihood for triggering a deep and dangerous avalanche has significantly decreased, all it takes is finding the right trigger point such as a shallow, rocky area or thin spot over a convexity. There are many slopes out there now where you can get away with it, but when it comes to life and death, I don't want to just get away with it, I want to know that it's good to go. For that reason, I'm continuing to avoid steep northerly aspects.

Additional Information

Thanks to all team members who came down to help us put on another successful Mountain Film event!

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.
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