In partnership with: Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center and Utah State Parks.
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, January 11, 2004 and it’s 7:30 a.m.
Current conditions:
Skies remained clear for most of the night allowing
ridge-top temperatures to dip into the upper 20’s. Currently it’s 29 degrees at
10,000’ and winds are out of the southwest at speeds of 5-15 mph along the
ridges. Snow surface conditions vary with elevation and aspect. The upper
elevation wind exposed terrain is pretty funky as winds earlier in the week had
their way, and the sunny slopes at all elevations have developed a challenging crust.
However, good recrystalized powder riding and turning conditions can be found
on protected north facing aspects.
Avalanche Conditions:
The January thaw is providing a much-needed break
for avalanche workers, though as we’re catching up on rest the snowpack remains
busy at work. At the surface the warm weather is helping to weld in the wind
slabs created earlier in the week and their becoming pretty stubborn to the
weight of a backcountry traveler. Though a well-placed ski cut or high-mark on
a steep wind loaded slope will probably be enough added weight to tip the
scales.
Deeper in the pack, instabilities are on the mend
and we’re headed towards an overall strengthening trend. While not widespread, I
think the possibility still exists to trigger a deep, hard slab avalanche
though now it may take more weight such as several snowmobiles on a steep slope
at the same time or a large cornice drop. The most likely place to trigger a
slide such as this will be in steep rocky upper elevation terrain that has a shallow,
weak underlying snowpack.
Finally, with warm temperatures on tap again today,
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 will be rising 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:
With a ridge of
high pressure parked over the region we can expect clear skies, light winds,
and warm temperatures to continue through about the middle of the week. High
temperatures today will be in the upper 30’s at 10,000’ and mid 40’s at 8,000’.
Overnight lows will be near 20 degrees. Winds will be light and westerly with
hourly wind speed averages of 10-15 mph along the ridges. Tuesday and Wednesday
look to be carbon copies weather wise, though a weak system late Wednesday could
bring in cooler temperatures and a flake or two.
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 Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2004.
Thanks for
calling.