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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon for
Friday, March 31, 2023
Fresh snow conspires with strong winds to deliver a one-two punch-
In the wind zone, above treeline, you'll find HIGH avalanche danger. On steep, rocky, upper elevation slopes, both human triggered and natural avalanches are VERY LIKELY. Terrain facing the north half of the compass, especially steep slopes with an easterly component to its aspect have the potential to produce avalanches that'll pack a punch and could easily ruin your day. CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger is found near treeline and human triggered avalanches are LIKELY on steep slopes with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. More predictable MODERATE avalanche danger is found on steep, lower elevation slopes, where storm snow reacts to our additional weight and human triggered avalanches are POSSIBLE.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Weather and Snow
Nowcast- The endless winter continues... because, it's endless... of course! But since there's so much to unpack, let's just take a look at the past 24 hours. Yesterday morning's fresh coat of white paint was enhanced by a late afternoon impulse that rapidly stacked up 6" of snow in just about an hour. 'Butcha ya know it's spring after all and ya gotta be on your toes in these parts, because change happens in a matter of minutes. With a break in the action around sunset, the heart of the storm filled in late last night and it's been chugging away, stacking up an additional 8" of snow overnight. Temperatures eek out the last couple hours of their graveyard shift registering in the teens and low 20's, while west and southwest winds are busy at work, humming along in the 30's and 40's along the ridges, blowing to 50 mph near the peaks. Out of the wind, riding and turning conditions are all time!
Forecast- A solid shot of moisture delivers 8"-12" of snow in the next couple hours. As a cold front slides into the state, westerly winds ramp into the 40's and 50's near the high peaks and afternoon temperatures climb into the upper 20's. Snow tapers off late in the day and we'll see some clearing overnight.
Futurecast- A break in the action is slated for the weekend with another series of storms on tap for next week.
Trip Reports-
Detailed trip reports and recent obs are found HERE.
Recent Avalanches
Pockety and breaking about a foot deep, wind drifts and storm snow, reacted predictably to the additional weight of a rider yesterday.
No significant recent avalanches to report in the past day or two, but plenty of avy activity to peruse if ya wanna geek out. Click HERE to track this years slide activity throughout the range.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Well developed cornice like the ginormi... corni in the image above, are a double edged sword. While great indicators to indicate predominate wind direction and potentially wind drifted terrain, also remember these beasts can unpredictably break in front or behind you and need to be given a huge berth.
There's no shortage of fresh snow available to blow around and recent winds have little problem whipping up fresh drifts reactive to our additional weight. Remember... there are multiple storms worth of wind drifted snow stacked up on leeward slopes in the wind zone and once triggered, todays avalanches are gonna pack a hefty punch. It doesn't mean you shouldn't ride... it does mean that rather than blindly center-punching a big objective with no beta, gather as much information as you can about the snowpack. Tweak small test slopes similar in aspect, elevation, and slope angle to the kinda terrain you plan on riding and see how they're reacting. In addition, have an exit plan in place in case things go sideways and discuss that with your crew before considering big terrain. Remember... you can have a blast on slopes protected by the wind and not even have to pull on the avalanche dragons tail today.
Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Today's storm snow falls on a variety of hard, slick surfaces and will easily react to our additional weight at all elevations. If the sun pokes out even for a moment or two, expect the snow to instantly come to life. Remember... even a small new snow slide can take you for an unexpected ride, especially in sustained, steep terrain.
Additional Information
Weather stations-
And... rime events from January's atmospheric rivers severely crippled the Uinta weather station network. I'm working to get it back up and running, but a few stations are found HERE (click weather stations, and then on the Western Uinta tab)
Observations-
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 03:07 on Friday March 31st this forecast expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 07:00 Saturday April1st 2023.
Before it gets too crazy, now is the time to book an avalanche awareness presentation for your group, club, or posse. You can reach Craig 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.
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