UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!
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Observation: Gold Basin

Observation Date
4/28/2015
Observer Name
Aaron Rice
Region
Moab » Gold Basin
Location Name or Route
Gold Basin
Weather
Sky
Overcast
Wind Speed
Calm
Weather Comments
Mostly calm all day. Overcast and warm with the occasional drizzle below 10K and flurry above 10K. Clouds and fog made for less than idea conditions
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
8"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Having not been in the mountains in a few days, I was hoping for a bit of a melt-freeze cycle, but was treated to newly wet snow. Very sticky, a bit of skin glopping, and very far from consolidated.
Red Flags
Red Flags
Recent Avalanches
Rapid Warming
Red Flags Comments
There were a bunch of small loose-wet avalanches in the distance off of Mt Tuk. the larger may have been D2R2 but most were smaller.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Wet Snow
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments
With warm temps and only a partial refreeze overnight, had I gotten on steeper terrain I would not have been at all surprised to see wet avalanches easily releasing.
Comments
As I have done a few times this spring, I did not observe anything all that noteworthy, but without advisories, I figure any and all info is useful. There is skinnable snow above the parking lot at the top of gyser pass road (where the plowing stops) However in a few days I would expect much of it to melt back to the ground. There is plenty of snow still on the north facing slopes above 10K in the Gold Basin area. With a better corn cycle the skiing would be really great up there right now. However on Tues 4/28 the snow was manky, sticky, and made for difficult travel up and down hill. Also sorry for no pics, had a broken phone at the time.
Today's Observed Danger Rating
Low
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates