UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon for
Thursday, October 27, 2022
If your travels take you into the high country for one last hike before winter really gets going, you'll definitely want to avoid stomping around on steep, upper elevation, wind drifted slopes, especially those facing the north half of the compass. Remember... even a small wind drift can pack a hefty punch and knock you into a group of trees or rake you through a rock band. And yes, that'll instantly ruin your day.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
SAVE THE DATE and TAKE A DATE-
Grab your riding posse and sign up for the 15th Annual Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW). It's two nights of solid avy education, delivered by a remarkable group of presenters, all delivered virtually to the comfort of your own home... November 2nd and 9th. Sign up and get more info for the first session HERE and the second session HERE.
The Avalanche Professional and Ski Patrol Snow and Avalanche Workshop (PROSAW) will be during the day of November 7th. Sign up and get more info HERE.
Additional Training Opportunities-
It's never to early to start thinking about avalanches. A few things to consider doing:
Attend USAW and learn more about avalanches and decision making.
Sign up for an avalanche class.
Take the online courses listed on the KBYG website (Develop skills -> Online Learning).
Get your avalanche rescue gear ready for winter. Put fresh batteries in your transceiver and update the firmware. Inspect your shovel and probe. Get your airbag backpack ready by possibly doing a test deployment and update the firmware if it is an electric version.
Weather and Snow
Ted snagged these stunning images from earlier this week
Data dump from Windy Peak (10,662') clearly depicts the evolution of our recent storm.
Another nice shot of snow developed midmorning Wednesday, quickly stacking up 6"-8" across the range. Temperatures hover in the single digits and low teens. West and southwest winds were busy at work blowing in the 30's, forming fresh drifts, that'll be reactive to our additional weight today. Snow tapers off later this morning and skies clear for Friday through the weekend. Another shot of sow is slated for early next week.
So, just like that... there's enough snow to move around on. And now I think about early season roadside attractions like Murdock Bowl off the Mirror Lake Highway or Wolf Creek Bowl near Highway 35 and Wolf Creek Pass. Easy grabs... right? Even though it might not seem like there's enough snow to avalanche, today you'll want to avoid any steep, wind drifted slope. Remember- even a small wind drift packs enough punch to knock you off your feet and may result in a season ending injury if you slam into a stump, rock, or deadfall barely hidden under the shallow snow.

Recent Avalanches
No recent avy activity to report
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Additional Information
Yup, we've been super busy this summer upgrading the western Uinta weather station network and this real-time info is found HERE (there's some early season hoops to jump through, but please be patient with the prompts, click weather stations, and then on Western Uinta tab)
Your observations are important, so please let me know what you're seeing... click HERE and contribute to this amazing community based program
General Announcements
Issued at 04:00 on Thursday October 27th, this information expires 24 hours after the date and time posted.
I will update this forecast as conditions change and then once winter kicks into gear you can expect the usual daily forecasts issued by 07:00... or perhaps earlier :)
Before it gets too crazy, now is the time to book an avalanche awareness presentation for your group, club, or posse. You can reach me directly at 801-231-2170 or [email protected]
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.