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

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

Current conditions:

Skies are partly cloudy and temperatures are slowly creeping out of negative territory, though it’s still a bone chilling –8 degrees around Trial Lake. Winds are out of the north and northwest at speeds of 15-25 mph along the ridges. An inch of new snow fell overnight and good riding and turning conditions can be found on a mostly supportable base. However, coverage is still pretty thin with snow depths only about 3’ above timberline. Trail riding or turns on a smooth grassy slope continues to be the best bet at this time.

Avalanche Conditions:

Storm totals are around 9” of very light density snow in the upper elevation terrain surrounding the region. For the past two days winds have been blowing at a pretty good clip out of the north and northwest transporting this light snow and forming shallow, though sensitive wind slabs along the lee side of upper elevation ridges. This will be today’s primary avalanche concern. So, if you’re getting into steep, upper elevation terrain today, be alert to the clues of instability such as “whumphing” sounds or cracking of the surface snow around your skis or machine. There is still an isolated possibility that an avalanche could break into weak layers deeper in the snowpack.

In non-wind affected terrain be aware that steep slopes are sluffing easily.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is generally LOW today at mid and lower elevations and human triggered avalanches are unlikely.

At upper elevations, above timberline the avalanche danger is MODERATE on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees with recent deposits of wind-drifted snow. Human triggered avalanches are possible.

Mountain Weather:

The cold upper level trough that has affected the region the past few days will continue to move east today allowing a short-lived ridge to build on Monday. Temperatures will be slightly warmer today with highs at 8,000’ near 20 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the mid teens. Winds will be out of the northwest at speeds of 15-25 mph along the ridges. Monday should be partly cloudy and a bit warmer and winds will shift to the southwest ahead of a weak system that should affect the region on Tuesday.

General Information:

We can always use snow information and observations from riders and skiers are a vital component to this program. So if you see or trigger an avalanche give us a call at 801-231-2170 or 1-800-662-4140.

Also, if you’d like to schedule a free avalanche awareness talk and/or field day give us a call at 801-524-5304.

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 on Wednesday morning.

Thanks for calling.