It's really warm in the mountains, especially as we approach the winter solstice. Temperatures at the highest elevations are just under freezing, near treeline temperatures are in the mid to upper 30s F, and a few low spots have pools of colder air in the mid 20s F. Winds at ridgelines are averaging 15 mph gusting to 20 mph from the south.
With clouds moving over the area, skies will be partly sunny with temperatures climbing to the upper 30s and low 40s F. Winds should pick up this afternoon blowing steady 30 mph from the south.
While there's a chance for a few flurries tomorrow, the main action comes this weekend with a decent chance of snow on Saturday and very cold temperatures (near zero F) on Sunday.
Snow depths at weather stations range from 16-27 inches, but some areas at higher elevations have closer to three feet. South facing slopes have minimal snow that should be damp today. North facing slopes still have soft snow that is surprisingly supportable. It's worth getting out :)
Below is a graph from the NRCS of precipitation at the
Trial Lake SNOTEL site which has 24" snow (5.2" water). SNOTEL sites across the Uintas are reporting 60-100% of median values for
snow water equivalent (SWE). (Green line = 30-year median, Brown line = last winter, Black line = this winter so far)
There have been no reported avalanches in over a week.
Trip reports and the latest observations are found
HERE.
