Huge thanks to Rylan from Young Powersports for trusting me with the keys to the backcountry kingdom as well the keys to this 2023 Polaris. The decades old "loaner sled" partnership with Polaris allows me to see more terrain, issue more accurate forecasts, and ultimately saves lives!
Also... join the UAC and Young Powersports in Centerville on Thursday, December 14, from 5 - 7 PM for a FREE avalanche transceiver training.
Details here.
Nowcast- Get out of the valley junk, gunk, and funk because up high, clouds thinned out last night and the mountain air is clear. Temperatures remained relatively mild overnight, registering in the mid teens and low 20's at o'dark thirty . Winds blow from the east and southeast, clocking in at 10-20 mph along the high ridges. Sunny slopes have taken on heat the past few days and offer variable conditions, while riding and turning conditions remain quite good on shady slopes where you'll find shallow, creamy pow.
Forecast- A beauty of a day awaits your arrival! Look for sunny skies, light morning winds, and temperatures climbing into the 30's. Overnight lows are gonna be on the warm side, bottoming out in the teens. One buzz-kill to a gorgeous day... we'll keep an eye on a potential snow wrecking wild card as a closed low churns in the four corners area, potentially bumping easterly winds into the 30's.
Futurecast- Looking to bring your winter tanning game to the next level? Well then... this is our week! Sunny skies, warm temperatures, and generally light winds are on tap through the weekend.
Please join me for a current conditions, State of the Snowpack prezo at Inspired Summits HQ (
8178 Gorgoza Pines Road) Friday night at 6:00. Guaranteed to be informative, educational, and inside sources tell me... it'll be entertaining :)
Even though it may seem like a slow start to the season, the snowpack is about average (scroll to the bottom of the forecast for more info). There are 3 basic layers in the snowpack (1) old snow from October and mainly November with a crust from mid-November, (2) snow from the warm, wet storm from the first weekend of December with a crust on top of it, and (3) snow from last Friday which favored the northern part of the Uintas.
On Monday, I spotted this piece of snow from a distance. Breaking to old November snow, I suspect this large pocket on a steep, rocky, unsupported slope in Upper Chalk Creek occurred late in the weekend storm and was most likely triggered by a small piece of cornice crashing down onto the slope below.
Trip reports and the latest observations are found
HERE.
