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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon for
Monday, April 8, 2019
The danger of WET slides and sluffs starts as LOW this morning, quickly rising to MODERATE as temperatures rapidly rise. Human triggered wet avalanches are POSSIBLE on all steep slopes as the snow surfaces heats up.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
The season is winding down and regularly scheduled daily western Uinta avalanche forecasts will be issued through Sunday April 14th.
Wondering what happens when the forecasting ends?
Well the UAC’s work keeps going strong, of course. Summer is a busy time for the UAC. During the summer we are working hard on our fall and winter planning; putting together the Fall Fundraiser and USAW; updating our awareness and education programs; this summer we will be finishing up the website redesign project. Your donation shows you’re invested in this community all year round! You can still be part of the UAC’s success in 2019. Consider making a donation HERE by April 8.
Weather and Snow
Skies are clear, but with temperatures in the 30's, we're starting the day nearly 10 degrees warmer than yesterday at this time. Southwest winds are on the rise also, blowing in the 20's and 30's along the high peaks. Riding and turning conditions are a bit underwhelming today, though a short-lived window of supportable surface snow is found on terrain facing the south half of the compass.
Above is hourly snow data from Trial Lake (9,945')
And Lofty Lake Peak (11,186')
To view more regional weather stations click here.
Don't get too discouraged at the trailheads where frozen parking lots in the morning, morph into a slickery, afternoon muddy mess.... Ted Scroggin and his crew are still laying down fresh, smooth roy that'll help get you to the high country.
Recent Avalanches
No significant avalanche activity to report from yesterday.
Recent trip reports and avy activity found HERE.
Ad
Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
A marginal overnight refreeze has us starting behind 8 ball and the snow will heat up quickly today. With strong spring sunshine overhead and temperatures climbing into the upper 40's, it won't take long before wet avalanches become possible on all steep, snow covered slopes. Often starting as a small point release, wet slides and sluffs can fan out and entrain large amounts of damp surface snow as they descend a slope. (like in the image above). No mystery here, this is a pretty-straight-forward avalanche problem to avoid by simply getting off of and out from under steep slopes, especially if the snow surface you're riding feels saturated, manky, or punchy like a trap door. In addition, you'll want to think about your travel plans and remember to avoid terrain traps like gullies and road cuts where cement-like, bone snapping avalanche debris can stack up very deeply.
And remember-
Huuuuge cornices may become more tender and reactive to our additional weight, breaking further back than expected, particularly with warming the next few days. You definitely wanna give these large, unpredictable pieces of snow the respect they deserve and not ruin someones day below by inadvertently knocking a boxcar size piece of snow down on them.
Additional Information
And the hits just keep on comin'.... a good looking storm is on the doorstep and should impact the region beginning late Tuesday afternoon. In the meantime, look for mostly sunny skies today with southwest winds blowing in the 20's and 30's along the high ridges. High temperatures soar into the upper 40's and overnight lows barely dip to freezing. For Tuesday, look for increasing clouds and wind, with snow developing late in the afternoon. We can expect a solid shot of snow and a foot, perhaps more, is a pretty good bet by Thursday morning. Unsettled weather is on tap through the end of the week.
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 April 9th, 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.