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Observation: Uintas

Observation Date
12/7/2025
Observer Name
Ted Scroggin
Region
Uintas
Location Name or Route
Lofty Lake
Weather
Sky
Broken
Wind Direction
Northwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Partly sunny this morning with temperatures in the teens and increasing clouds early afternoon with northwest winds keeping the temperatures on the cool side.
Snow Characteristics
New Snow Depth
10"
New Snow Density
High
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Wind Crust
Rain-Rime Crust
Snow Characteristics Comments

The recent storm snow was on the dense side which is helping to build a base, but it has overloaded the buried weak sugary snow with a dense slab that is sitting on top.

Red Flags
Red Flags
Wind Loading
Cracking
Collapsing
Poor Snowpack Structure
Red Flags Comments
Plenty of red flags observed today after the storm delivered heavy dense snow with lots of wind.
Avalanche Problem #1
Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Trend
Same
Problem #1 Comments

The early season weak sugary snow is now buried with over a foot of new heavy dense snow and I was experiencing fairly wide spread collapsing and cracking in my travels.

Avalanche Problem #2
Problem
Wind Drifted Snow
Trend
Decreasing Danger
Problem #2 Comments

Only light winds with some moderate gusts today, but the highest peaks and ridges continue to get worked by the northwest winds.

Comments

Around 4-5" at the trailhead this morning with upwards of 10" up near 10,000'.

The storm this weekend brought heavy moisture rich air and dense snow making the Uintas look like something out of the Cascades. Strong northwest winds have been hammering away at the exposed peaks and ridges as the shoulder on Bald Mt. is mostly stripped of snow.

The Lofty Peak weather site looks frosty and covered in rime.

The old snow surface marked with the crystal card is now buried with a fairly dense slab and I experienced widespread collapsing on this weak layer.

Getting around is now a little better with terrain starting to get filled in. Meadows and roads still seem like the best places to ride to avoid the hazards.

Today's Observed Danger Rating
Considerable
Tomorrows Estimated Danger Rating
Moderate
Coordinates