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Forecast for the Moab Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath for
Thursday, April 7, 2022
The avalanche danger is generally LOW but the La Sals are a big little mountain range comprised of large, complex, radical terrain. Unstable snow may still exist on isolated terrain features and here are some things to keep in mind:
  • A persistent weak layer of faceted snow still exists on northerly aspects. This weak layer is largely non-reactive however, it could still pose a threat in areas of extreme terrain right around treeline.
  • Unstable wind slabs may exist in upper elevation, wind exposed terrain. Remain on the lookout for unstable areas of wind drifted snow, especially in consequential terrain.
  • Loose wet avalanches remain possible as the days heat up. Stay off of steep slopes if they become wet and sloppy.
    Minimize your risk by continuing to observe safe travel techniques. Maintain terrain awareness and only expose one person to danger at a time.
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Special Announcements
Road Conditions: The road is a mix of dirt and mud down low and a few inches of snow up high. It gets sloppier as the days warm up. All wheel drive and good tires are recommended.
Grooming: Trails into Gold Basin were groomed on Friday.
Weather and Snow
Clear and dry conditions prevail through the weekend and into early next week. Use the links below for current weather data and the NWS weather forecast for the La Sal Mountains:
Gold Basin SNOTEL site (10,000')
Storm Totals in Gold Basin
Wind Station on Pre Laurel Peak (11,700')
Snowpack
Spring conditions are in effect and most surfaces are crusted over with varying degrees of supportability in the morning that then become wet and sloppy later in the day. Hunt for corn on S-W facing slopes near treeline and below and plan to be off of them by around 1:00 p.m. These slopes are melting out fast however so get it while you can. You can still find some dryish powder in the upper cirques on northerly aspects but sun and wind this week will likely finish that off. The Jan-Feb persistent weak layer is still present though stability tests are consistently showing the layer to be non-reactive. I feel safe in saying that it is mostly dormant at this time but you may still be able to find some trouble in steep, complex, featured terrain right around treeline. Minimize your risk by sticking to open, planar slopes, and remain wary of steep convexities, blind break-overs, and areas of rocky, more radical terrain.
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Avalanche Problem #1
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The avalanche danger is generally LOW but the La Sals are a big little mountain range comprised of large, complex, radical terrain. Unstable snow may still exist on isolated terrain features. As you consider bigger objectives, here are some things to keep in mind:
  • A persistent weak layer of faceted snow still exists on northerly aspects. This weak layer is largely non-reactive however, it could still pose a threat in areas of extreme terrain right around treeline. Minimize your exposure to this problem by avoiding sparsely wooded, steep, rocky, radical terrain right around treeline.
  • Isolated, unstable wind slabs may still exist in upper elevation, wind exposed terrain. Remain on the lookout for unstable areas of wind drifted snow, especially in consequential terrain where even a small triggered wind slab could carry you over a cliff. Wind slabs are recognizable by their smooth rounded appearance and they may sound hollow underneath.
  • Loose wet avalanches remain possible as the days heat up. Signs of instability include pinwheels, rollerballs, and small "point release" sluffs. Stay off of steep slopes when these signs are present, or if they become wet and sloppy.
Minimize your risk by continuing to observe safe travel techniques. Maintain awareness of the terrain and only expose one person to danger at a time.
General Announcements
Who's up for some free avalanche training? Get a refresher, become better prepared for an upcoming avalanche class, or just boost your skills. Go to https://learn.kbyg.org/ and scroll down to Step 2 for a series of interactive online avalanche courses produced by the UAC.
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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