Wasatch Cache and Uinta National Forests

In partnership with: Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center and Utah State Parks.

Avalanche advisory

Sunday, February 23, 2003

Good Morning. This is Craig Gordon with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your avalanche and mountain weather advisory for the Western Uinta Mountains including but not limited to the terrain surrounding Chalk Creek, Smith-Moorehouse, the Mirror Lake Highway, and Woodland. Recent snowpack observations on the Evanston side of the range as well as near Daniels indicate a weaker snowpack than what we’re seeing in the Central Uintas and the avalanche danger could be slightly higher in these regions.

This advisory is made possible through a generous grant provided by Utah State Parks and will be available for the rest of the winter on weekends and holidays.

Today is Sunday, February 23, 2003, and it’s 7:30 in the morning.

Current Conditions:

6”-8” of light density snow has fallen throughout the range in the past 24 hrs. Skies are mostly cloudy and temperatures are in the single digits along the ridges. Winds are generally out of west blowing at speeds of 20-30 mph at the most exposed locations. The riding and turning conditions are quite good, especially on mid elevation, wind-sheltered slopes.

Avalanche Conditions:

It was a pretty exciting day out there yesterday! Strong winds out of the west and northwest blew for most of the day. Hourly wind speed averages in the 20’s with gusts in the 60’s were recorded at most mountain top locations. The combination of vigorous winds and light density snow has created wind drifts that are close to 4’ in depth on the leeward side of upper elevation terrain. Wind drifts have developed along ridgelines and around terrain features such as chutes, gullies and sub-ridges. Due to the duration of our latest wind event mid slope loading has occurred as well. These newly formed slabs will be quite sensitive to the additional weight of a backcountry enthusiast today. Once initiated, avalanches will involve a lot of snow and have the potential to break into deeper, buried weak layers. This combination would produce a large and possibly unsurvivable avalanche. The most likely type of terrain that this scenario would occur in is steep, rocky slopes or areas that have a thin, weak snowpack.

In addition, cornices have grown in size and have the possibility of breaking back further than you might expect.

If you’re getting out today be aware of signs of instability such as cracking or collapsing of the snowpack. Remember that naturally occurring avalanches are the biggest clue to instability.

This would be a good day to be conservative with your terrain choices and slope angles. Even if you’re playing on low angle terrain be aware of steep slopes above you and avoid avalanche run out zones.

Utilizing your safe travel skills will be a key factor today. Ride or ski a slope one at a time, get out of the way and into a safe location at the bottom of the slope, and always keep an eye on your partner. In addition, carry the appropriate rescue gear such as an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe and know how to use these tools.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE today on any steep, upper elevation slope with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. Human triggered avalanches are probable. With more snow and wind forecast the avalanche danger could rise to HIGH by days end.

There is also a CONSIDERABLE danger of triggering an avalanche into deeper, buried, weak layers on northwest through east facing aspects above 9,000’ in elevation on slopes that are steeper than about 35 degrees.

Mountain Weather:

We’ll be under the influence of a moist, northwest flow today that should produce mostly cloudy skies and a slight chance of snow. Temperatures will remain on the cool side with highs at 8,000’ in the low 20’s and at 10,000’ in the mid teens. Overnight lows will be in the single digits. Winds will be out of the west and northwest at speeds of 15-25 mph along the ridges. A warmer southwest flow is on tap for the early part of the week with the possibility of a good shot of snow late Monday night into Tuesday. In the extended outlook we should see a chance of snow Wednesday through Friday.

General Information:

If you’re getting out and about please let us know what you’re seeing, especially if you see or trigger an avalanche. Call 1-800-662-4140, or 801-231-2170, or email to [email protected] or fax to 801-524-6301. Your observations could help to save someone’s life. Many thanks to those of you who called in accurate and timely snowpack information this week!

We will be offering free snowmobile specific avalanche education this year. To schedule a talk and or a field day please call 801-231-2170.

The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content.

This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

I will update this advisory by 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 1, 2003.

Thanks for calling!