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 Saturday November 29, 2003 and it’s 7:30 in the morning.

Current conditions:

Clouds are beginning to increase and temperatures are rising. In fact today will feel downright balmy as it’s already in the low 30’s at 10,000’. Winds are out the west at speeds of 15-25 mph along the upper elevation ridges and we’ve received no new snow in the past 24 hours. Aside from the thin coverage in the predominately rocky upper elevation terrain, good riding and turning conditions can still be found. Protected mid elevation north facing slopes will be your best bet as low elevation snow will be damp and southerly aspects are crusted from yesterday’s sun.

Avalanche Conditions:

After several days of what could be the best snow conditions so far this year, the powder party is over. As the saying goes “you should’ve been here yesterday”. The warm temperatures we’re experiencing are a bit of a double-edged sword as far as the snowpack is concerned. For one, it’s definitely put a screeching halt to the in your face powder riding and skiing of the past few days. However, the warmth is helping the snowpack to gain strength and adjust to the added weight of this weeks’ storm. Aside from some shallow wind slabs along the upper elevation ridgelines, I’m finding the snowpack to be relatively welded in place.

Today’s avalanche concerns will be two-fold. At upper elevations above timberline there are areas where you could still trigger an old wind slab especially on the lee side of ridges and terrain features such as chutes and gullies.

In steep rocky terrain where snow depths average about 2’ or less, the snowpack is becoming weak and punchy, and there is an isolated possibility that an avalanche could break into weak layers near the ground.

At lower elevations the snowpack didn’t receive a solid refreeze overnight and with a high rain/snow line in the forecast I’d suspect we could see some shallow wet sluffs on steep slopes.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is generally LOW today at all elevations on slopes less than about 35 degrees in steepness.

At upper elevations above timberline there is a MODERATE avalanche danger on slopes steeper than 35 degrees where pockets of old wind drifted snow exist. Human triggered avalanches are possible.

Should we receive any rain today, the avalanche danger could rise to MODERATE on steep, low elevation slopes.

Mountain Weather:

A moist but stable airmass will be over the region today bringing us cloudy skies, warm temperatures, and a chance of light snow. Highs today at 8,000’ will be near 40 degrees and at 10,000’ in the low to mid 30’s. Overnight lows will be near freezing. Winds will be out of the west at speeds of 15-25 mph along the upper elevation ridges. Light snow is likely for both today and Sunday with totals in the 1”-3” range expected by Sunday evening.

General Information:

We can always use snow and avalanche information and your observations are an important 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.

This advisory will be updated by 7:30 on Sunday morning.

Thanks for calling.