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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon on
Saturday morning, December 19, 2020
Heads up... it's tricky out there. Dangerous avalanche conditions exist at upper elevations and our snowpack teeters on the edge. Any slide triggered will break deeper and wider than you might expect.
In the wind zone, at and above treeline, CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists. Human triggered avalanches are LIKELY on steep, wind drifted slopes. Terrain facing the north half of the compass, and particularly slopes with an easterly component to its aspect should be avoided.
Mid elevations offer MODERATE avalanche danger on steep slopes facing the north half of the compass and human triggered avalanches are POSSIBLE.
In either case, it'll be touchy today and remember... shallow snow cover and low tide conditions barely hide natural obstacles like stumps and rocks, so, triggering even a small slide can lead to an instant buzz-kill and a season ending injury.
LOW avalanche danger is found on mid and low elevation slopes, particularly those facing south, but snow cover is super thin.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
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Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Avalanche Bulletin
THE AVALANCHE CONDITIONS REMAIN DANGEROUS FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL UTAH, INCLUDING THE WASATCH RANGE, THE BEAR RIVER RANGE...THE WESTERN UINTAS AND THE MANTI-SKYLINE PLATEAU. RECENT HEAVY SNOWFALL AND DRIFTING FROM STRONG WINDS HAS CREATED AREAS OF UNSTABLE SNOW. HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY. TRAVEL IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED. STAY OFF OF AND OUT FROM UNDERNEATH SLOPES STEEPER THAN 30 DEGREES
Special Announcements
You know the program... roadside attractions are still an easy grab and just 'cause you can see it from the car doesn't mean it's safe or you're good to go. And remember, our front-line health care workers are maxed out. So, let's collectively think about our decisions and the consequences that may have on others.
Weather and Snow
Nowcast-
Skies cleared overnight and current temperatures register in the mid teens across the board. Northerly winds are reasonable, blowing 10-20 mph along the high peaks. Our recent storm delivered 8" of new snow and riding conditions are slowly improving. However, total snow depths throughout the range average just about two feet in depth, so the Uinta's are still quite thin and travel is sorta limited to road rides and grassy slopes.
Forecast-
A weak weather system slides through our region today, producing a few clouds and a bump in winds. High temperatures climb into the mid 20's and overnight lows dip into the teens.
Futurecast-
High pressure builds for Sunday into early next week and we'll see clear skies and warming temperatures. A weak storm slated for Tuesday may produce light snow and then it looks like warm and sunny for the remainder of the week.
Looking for real-time temps, snow, or wind?
Click here and then on the "western Uinta" tab for western Uinta specific, weather station network.
Recent Avalanches
Don't let the photo fool you... the two riders in this image were documenting the slide and performing a "mock rescue"!
I rolled up to this remotely triggered slide, just moments after it happened. Triggered from the flats by a super savvy crew that has been to plenty of our avy classes, Cal Taylor (president of Utah Snowmobile Association) and his riding partner Mike Davis knew to avoid climbing hills today.
And... Cal's takeaways on the state of the snowpack.
To view trip reports and recent avalanche activity, simply click here.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The past few days of field work confirmed our suspicions... we've got a buried and preserved layer of weak, faceted snow and it's reactive to our snowpit tests and more importantly, to our additional weight. And that was all before Thursday's storm! So, here's the setup. The current snowpack structure mirrors an upside-down cake... think, stronger snow on weaker snow. This type of layering leads to tricky avalanche conditions, where we can trigger slides from a distance or from adjacent slopes, and where we can pull the entire log pile down on top of us. And once triggered, today's avalanches may break wider and deeper than you might expect.
But you don't have to ride blind... so, look for and listen to signs of unstable snow like whoomping sounds and sudden collapses of the snowpack or shooting cracks in front of your skis, board, or sled. And of course the biggest clue of all... recent avalanches, especially on the same types of slopes you wanna ride on.
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Yesterday, I found sensitive drifts reactive to my additional weight, along the leeward side of mid and upper elevation ridges.
A bump in winds early Thursday created a fresh round of drifts that are now buried with light density snow. Now that they're camouflaged, they're gonna be hard to detect. Found mostly on the leeward side of upper elevation ridges, you'll also want to be on the lookout for cross-loaded terrain like chutes and gullies. In either case, it's an easy and mostly manageable avalanche problem to avoid by simply steering clear of any fat, rounded piece of snow, particularly if it sounds hollow like a drum. And remember... our snowpack is super shallow and triggering even a small slide can take you for a body-bruising ride through rocks and stumps barely hidden under the thin snowpack.
Additional Information
A new snow study site near Camp Steiner is up and running! Click HERE real-time snow fall, total snow depth, and current temperatures. This data fills in a big black hole of snow information near Mirror Lake. I'd like to give a big shout out to Sean and Jesse from the NWS along with Ted Scroggin, our main man in the Uinta's... the entire crew is featured in the viddy above.
I'll update this forecast by 7:00 AM tomorrow, Sunday December 20th.
Your observations are import, so please let me know what you're seeing... click HERE and contribute to this amazing community based program
Information on outdoor recreation - The State of Utah created this webpage with information about recreating on both state and federal public lands during the current health crisis.
Skiing and riding at closed ski resorts - Some resorts allow access now, and some do not. Please check HERE for the latest info on ski area access.
New to the backcountry (including riding at closed resorts) - Watch the award-winning, 15 minute Know Before You Go video, or take the 5-part, free online-learning series.
General Announcements
If you see or trigger an avalanche or just wanna let me know what you're seeing you can reach me directly at 801-231-2170 or [email protected]
The information in this forecast is from the US Forest Service which is solely responsible for its content.
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