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, January 10, 2004 and it’s 7:30 a.m.

Current conditions:

While the valleys are immersed in a soupy, cold, haze it’s clear and beautiful in the high country as high pressure becomes the dominant feature of our weather pattern. At most mountaintop locations temperatures are in the low 30’s and winds are out of the southwest at speeds of 10-15 mph with an occasional gust in the low 20’s. Much of the sun exposed terrain has developed a crust, though good recrystalized powder riding and turning conditions can be found on protected north facing aspects.

Avalanche Conditions:

Strong winds earlier in the week created some stout wind slabs at the upper elevations, though warm temperatures the past few days have helped weld these in place making them quite stubborn. However, I’m still finding clean shears within these slab sandwiches, which are up to two feet in depth. These are most prevalent on the leeward side of ridgelines and a well placed high-mark might be enough added weight to tip the balance.

Our recent bout of tropical temperatures is helping the snowpack to strengthen and become more supportable and a number of backcountry enthusiasts are starting to get into steeper terrain, punching in some bold lines throughout the region without incident. While this is usually a good sign, I don’t think I’d let a set of tracks become my barometer of slope stability. We still have to remember a lot of weight was added to a relatively weak snowpack over the holidays. I think the possibility still exists to trigger a deep, hard slab avalanche though now it may take a little more weight such as several snowmobiles on a steep slope at the same time or a large cornice drop. In any case, once triggered these avalanches still have the possibility of stepping into weaker layers buried in the snowpack creating a large and dangerous avalanche.

Finally, be aware that all of this heating will affect the snows surface so be on the lookout for wet, loose sluffing on steep sun-exposed slopes at all elevations.

Bottom Line:

At and above timberline the avalanche danger is MODERATE today on slopes approaching 40 degrees in steepness, with both old and recent deposits of wind-drifted snow. Human triggered avalanches are possible. While not widespread, be aware that within this type of terrain an isolated possibility also exists of triggering a large and dangerous hard slab avalanche.

On steep sun exposed slopes at all elevations the danger of wet sluffs is LOW this morning and may rise to MODERATE as the day progresses.

In wind-sheltered terrain and on slopes less than 30 degrees in steepness the avalanche danger is generally LOW.

Mountain Weather:

Not much is going on in the weather department, as a ridge of high pressure will remain over the region through Monday. Today we can expect partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures. Highs at 10,000’ will be in the mid to upper 30’s and at 8,000’ in the low 40’s. Overnight lows will be in the mid 20’s. Winds will be out of the southwest at speeds of 10-20 mph along the ridges. Sunday and Monday look to be mostly sunny with slightly warmer temperatures and a weak storm should graze the area on Tuesday ushering in cooler weather and a slight chance of snow.

General Information:

We can always use snow and avalanche information and your snowpack and avalanche observations could help to save someone’s life. 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 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2004.

Thanks for calling.