UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon for
Monday, February 4, 2019
DANGEROUS AVALANCHE CONDITIONS EXIST ON THE EASTERN FRONT-
In the wind zone, at and above treeline, the avalanche danger is HIGH. Both human triggered and natural avalanches are LIKELY on steep wind drifted slopes, especially those facing the north half of the compass. Any avalanche that breaks into deeper buried weak layers near the ground will result in a scary and very dangerous avalanche that will instantly ruin your day.
You'll find CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger on steep, mid elevation, wind drifted slopes and human triggered avalanches are PROBABLE.
Strong winds have created unusual avalanche conditions in low elevation terrain where a MODERATE avalanche danger exists. Human triggered avalanches are POSSIBLE on steep slopes near our trailheads, foothills, and possibly our own backyards.
It's eerie out there, but it doesn't mean we can't ride. Choose gentle terrain or big, open meadows and simply stay off of and out from under steep, wind drifted slopes.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
We still have a few slots open for this weeks Avy Moto 101. Grab a friend.... take a class.... it might just save your life.
Weather and Snow
I totally under forecast yesterdays snowfall totals, which of course worked in our favor as the region got pasted! Snow quickly added up across the range throughout the day, stacking an evenly distributed 18" of snow with nearly 2" of H2O.... these are big numbers for the eastern front. Southerly winds continued making headline news throughout the day averaging 25-45 mph along the high ridges. Currently, light snow is falling, temperatures are in the teens and low 20's, and southerly winds continue doing their thing, blowing in the 30's and 40's. Low visibility, strong winds, and tough trail breaking should steer you to set your sights on mid elevation, wind sheltered terrain.
Above is hourly data from Trial Lake (9,945') and Windy Peak (10,662'). To view more regional weather stations click here.
Recent Avalanches
Hard to see much on Sunday and we didn't get on anything steep. Though the test slopes we stomped on revealed reactive slabs sensitive to our additional weight, breaking up to 2' deep.
Recent trip reports and avy activity found HERE.
Ad
Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Strong winds, dense heavy snow, and a respectable amount of water weight will most definitely bring our dormant, midpack weak layers, out of their winter slumber. And my bet is they're ticked off, they're gonna be cranky, and they're gonna react to our additional weight now that they've come back to life. Our snowpack history reveals that each time there's a sufficient load of water weight, wind, and snow we see avalanches that break unmanageably wide and deep, often failing around this persistent midpack weakness. This is a tricky setup because the snow will feel strong under our skis, board, or sled. Problem is... we gotta think not only about the snow we're riding in, but also the snow we're riding on and the fact is.... it's strong snow over weak snow, which often gives us false signs of stable snow. This is the kind of setup where we see avalanches triggered mid slope, low on the slope, or from a distance. That's too much uncertainty for me to deal with so I'm choosing to follow my gut, my intuition, and my own forecast. I'm gonna stay off of and out from under steep, wind drifted slopes.
JG nailed his observation last week with the comments below-
"Pit tests were stubborn and somewhat inconclusive but I would be hard pressed to jump into steep terrain on the north half of the compass, especially if there is an easterly component to the slope. Things will be changing by the weekend and early next week with the addition of more water weight to the snowpack."
Sage advice from a seasoned snow pro. More on JG's travels are found here.
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Fresh drifts formed all over the map yesterday and they're piling up on weak surface snow, similar to the snow in the video above. While most prevalent on the leeward side of mid and upper elevation ridges, strong winds whipped up sensitive drifts that'll be found cross-loaded around terrain features like chutes, gullies, and sub-ridges and at unusually low elevation terrain. Today, you'll want to look for and avoid any fat, rounded piece of snow, especially if it sounds hollow like a drum.
Additional Information
A strong, moist, and relatively mild south to southwest flow persists today through tonight, delivering an additional 6" of higher density snow. South and southwest winds blow 40-60 mph along the ridges and high temperatures climb into the low 30's. A solid shot of snow crosses the region Tuesday into Wednesday bringing significant snowfall along with much colder temperatures.
General Announcements
The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Tuesday February 5th, 2019.
If you're getting out and about, please let me know what you're seeing especially if you see or trigger and avalanche. I can be reached at [email protected] or 801-231-2170
It's also a good time to set up one of our very popular avalanche awareness classes. Reach out to me and I'll make it happen.
This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.