Road Conditions: Expect snow on the upper end with conditions turning muddy and sloppy as the day heats up. 4x4 recommended.
Grooming: Trails have not been groomed.
Information on outdoor recreation - The State of Utah created this
webpage with information about recreating on both state and federal public lands during the current health crisis.
January 5, 2019 - Read this
collection of 6 stories and a podcast about that day with a low avalanche danger, 8 skier triggered avalanches, four catch and carries...a partial and critical burial, and a trip to the emergency room.
24 Hour Snow 0" Weekly Snow 12" Base Depth in Gold Basin 68" Wind SW 15-20 G30 Temp 32F
Weather: Yesterday was warm and sunny along with our constant companion - SW winds. They averaged 20 mph for most of the day on Pre Laurel Peak with gusts as high as 35. They'll blow similarly today. A shortwave trough and associated cold front will move through the area this morning bringing some clouds and a chance for snow showers with no real accumulation expected. We should see partly sunny skies later in the day with high temps in the mid 30's. Another weak wave should begin to produce clouds late Friday followed by a dry and mostly sunny weekend. For next week, we'll have our eye on another Pacific low sliding down the west coast.
Snowpack: Maggie Nielsen was up yesterday and she reported a mixed bag of spring conditions with supportable, developing corn snow on sunny aspects.
In spite of the winds, there was little snow available for transport, but she did note evidence of previous wind loading and cornices on northerly aspects.
Read her observation here.
After a long dry spell in February, March saw significant snowfall, generally accompanied by strong southerly winds. Accumulating and wind drifted snow piled up on top of loose, sugary, facets that developed in February. This combination produced both natural and human triggered avalanches from 1'-4' deep. Overloaded, weak faceted snow still exists on northerly facing slopes right around treeline and below. Alpine areas generally have a deeper and stronger snowpack, especially out in the middle of concave bowls. However, slope margins, wind-swept areas, and areas right around rocks, cliffs, or sub-ridges have a much thinner snowpack and these areas remain likely trigger points for deep and dangerous avalanches.
