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, February 7, 2004 and it’s 7:30 a.m.

Current conditions:

A fairly vigorous looking cold front is slated to move into the region later today and ahead of this system clouds are beginning to build, temperatures are on the rise, and southerly winds are starting to kick in. Current 10,000’ temperatures are in the low 20’s and winds are out of the southwest with hourly averages in the teens along the highest ridges. While no new snow has fallen in the past 24 hours, this weeks storm totals are close to 2’ at the upper elevations throughout the range. Yesterday’s sunshine has created a zipper crust on the south facing slopes. However, some of the best turning and riding conditions of the season can still be had today, particularly on wind sheltered, shady slopes.

Avalanche Conditions:

It’s been a pretty amazing week along the eastern front and the snow we’ve received is some of the lightest the state has to offer, averaging around 5% density. As you probably already know, it doesn’t take a whole lot of wind to blow this fluffy snow around and create wind drifts and that’s exactly what happened yesterday, as northwesterly winds were hard at work at the upper elevations. In the wind zone, above timberline, soft slabs up to about a foot in depth were growing rapidly and while still manageable in size, these wind drifts were quite sensitive to my additional weight.

Today, however the avalanche conditions will be changing as winds are forecast to be a bit stronger and are now switching to the southwest. There’s an abundance of new snow available for transport and I’d suspect today’s slabs will become deeper and more widespread, especially later in the day. Be on the lookout for the usual signs of instability such as cracking around your skis or machine as well as “whumphing” noises and collapsing of the snowpack. As winds increase, slabs will be forming lower down on the slope as well as around terrain features such as chutes, gullies, and sub-ridges. In addition, cornices are beginning to build and may break back a little further than you might expect.

If you’re getting into steep, upper elevation terrain where there’s an abundance of new snow you’ll need have your avalanche eyeballs clearly focused today and be alert to changing weather conditions. Utilize safe travel skills by riding or skiing a slope one at a time, have an escape route planned and discuss this with your partners, and get out of the way and into a safe location at the bottom of the slope. As always have a beacon, shovel, and probe and know how to use these rescue tools.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is MODERATE this morning at upper elevations, at and above timberline, on all slopes steeper than about 35 degrees, with recent deposits of wind-drifted snow. Human triggered avalanches are possible. By this afternoon the avalanche danger may rise to CONSIDERABLE in this type of terrain, meaning human triggered avalanches are probable and natural avalanches possible.

At mid and low elevations and in wind protected terrain the avalanche danger is generally LOW.

Mountain Weather:

A cold front with a good shot of snow should start to push into the region later today and with it we can expect mostly cloudy skies, increasing winds, and a chance of lightening with frontal passage. Temperatures will be cooling throughout the day and highs at 10,000’ will be near 10 degrees and at 8,000’ in the upper teens. Overnight lows will be close to 9 degrees. Winds will be out of the southwest this morning, switching to the northwest later this afternoon and should remain in the 15-25 mph range with stronger gusts possible at the highest ridges. Snow should begin in earnest by early afternoon and 2”-4” is forecast for today with an additional 3”-6” tonight. Sunday and Monday look to be mostly cloudy and cold with a chance of lingering snow showers. We’ll start to dry out by Tuesday and it doesn’t look like much in the way of snow for the remainder of the week.

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.

I will update this advisory by 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb.8, 2004.

Thanks for calling.