Special AnnouncementsResearchers Ian McCammon and Sara Boilen are developing new tools for managing human factors for backcountry skiers and boarders. This survey asks about personal experiences with human factors and will take 7 - 8 minutes to fill out. Link is HERE.
Weather and SnowNowcast - 0500 AM temperatures are inverted and report in the teens (°F) at 10,000' and closer 25°F near 11,000'. Skies are clear and winds are calm blowing lightly from the south.
Forecast - The warm-up has begun and temperatures will be 10-15 degrees above average by the end of today with a high of 45°F at 10'k. Winds remain calm, blowing from the south around 10 MPH, and should keep consistent throughout the day but not help to cool the snow surface much.
Futurecast - A significant warm-up carries us through today and into tomorrow. An active pattern follows with the potential for more snowfall accumulation later this week.
Travel Conditions - Although yesterday was one of those incredible Uinta days, the sun and warm temperatures certainly took a toll on the snow surface. On the sunnies and mid-elevation slopes, I'd expect a crust on the surface that would hopefully soften by mid-day at the latest. But on the high polars, cold, deep, settled pow remains and provides some of the best quality riding of the season! With all that in mind, remember wherever you're headed across the range watch out for rocks and stump hiding under 1-2' of snow and just waiting for some love from us!
Upper-elevation north facing terrain was the ticket we were trying to book yesterday and it was well worth the price of admission. Kyle C shown above near Ramona Peak getting his final fix of hang-time in before it all melts into the river.
On the sunny side of things, a dialed crew got after the east face of Mt. Watson and found surfy and supportable conditions. They went back for seconds before things got too warm and scored!
Recent AvalanchesYesterday, the most significant avalanche observed was during the mid-afternoon warm-up on Haystack, where a natural cornice fall triggered a decent sized slab avalanche in steep and rocky terrain above treeline. 
At 11,000' on Haystack mountain, a slab avalanche failed naturally when a cornice broke above it from day-time heating, falling onto the slope below and subsequently triggering the avalanche below.
Roller balls and pinwheels coming down the apron late in the day in the alpine. No major wet activity was noted, but this is a tell-tale red flag that things are heating up out there -- Watch for more of the same, today.
Today, temperatures climb into the 40's (°F) and wet snow avalanches will be possible during the peak heat of the day on mid to upper elevations slopes around the compass. Yesterday, a cool breeze and somewhat deceiving temperatures kept most of the wet activity at bay, but a late-in-the-day natural off Haystack triggered by a cornice breaking 1-2' deep keeps me on my toes of what our avalanches could look like today if the packs gets uncomfortable today.
Remember, taking a ride in any slide today could have a nasty outcome. When I am dealing with wet snow issues I am always keeping in mind the following:
Ted was over near Lofty Peak working a beautiful canvas and noted, " No wet snow issues up high today, the north wind and slightly cool temperatures kept the wet issues in check. With warming temps the new snow should start to get unstable as the spring sunshine beats down."
We are always looking for snow and avalanche observations or just general riding conditions -- Reach out to us with questions, concerns, or if you see anything in your travels!
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. This forecast was issued on Sunday, April 05 at 06:30 and expires 24 hours after it was issued. We'll update this information by about 7:00 AM tomorrow.
