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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon for
Sunday, February 10, 2013

A MODERATE avalanche danger is found on steep, wind drifted mid and upper elevation terrain and human triggered avalanches are possible.

LOW avalanche danger is found on low angle, wind sheltered terrain, where there are no steep slopes above or adjacent to where you're riding.

Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Weather and Snow

One last gasp out of the storm system that's been home steading over the region the past few days produced 6" of very light density snow which favored the North Slope last night. Looks like regions to the south received half that amount. Temperatures have crashed to near zero along the ridges where northwesterly winds are blowing 10-15 mph. Riding and turning conditions are about as good as it gets for the eastern front.

Recent observations can be found here.

Wondering why last winter was so crazy? Click here to watch the 2011-12 Utah Winter Review... an excellent recap of last years conditions.

Recent Avalanches

Shallow soft slabs and new snow sluffing seem to be the theme of the day yesterday.

An update on last weeks close call at Monte Cristo is found here.

An accident report detailing the very tragic avalanche in the West Fork of the Duchesne can be found here.

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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Not much has changed overnight even with the addition of our latest coat of white paint. Look for shallow, yet manageably sensitive wind slabs along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges. Today's drifts will break at or below your skis, board, or sled, but take care that something manageable doesn't get out of hand if it catchs you off guard and knocks you into a tree or over a cliff in steep, unforgiving terrain.

Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Our recent round of snow and wind isn't enough weight to reactivate our buried January facets, but I'm not ready to turn my back on this persistent buried weakness. While isolated, avalanches breaking deeper and wider than you might expect can still be triggered, especially in steep, complex terrain. If your travels take you into terrain with these characteristics today, carefully assess the snowpack and consider the consequences of triggering a slide.

Additional Information

The weekend storm is in Colorado, but we'll see a bit of unsettled weather as the system continues to move east. Snow showers with little accumulations and temperatures reaching into the the low teens are expected today. Winds shift to the north and perhaps northeast later today, but should remain fairly reasonable... in the 10-20 mph range. A ridge of high pressure begins to build early in the week, bumping storms to our north and keeping the region dry through the week.

General Announcements

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can call me directly at 801-231-2170, email [email protected], or email by clicking HERE

This is a great time of year to schedule a free avalanche awareness presentation for your group or club. You can contact me at 801-231-2170 or email [email protected]

Donate to your favorite non-profit –The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work.

The information in this advisory is from the US Forest Service which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Wednesday February 13th.

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