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

Sunday DECEMber 26, 2004

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, December 26, 2004 and it’s 7:30 a.m.

Announcements:

We have installed a weather station in the Moffit Peak area. Click here to see temperatures and wind data.

Many thanks go out to the Utah Snowmobile Association and BRORA for their generous contributions.

For recent avalanche photos click here.

Current Conditions:

Clouds are starting to stream in ahead of a little system, which will bring some snow to the region by late this evening. The predicted weather pattern change looks to be on track and things could get pretty interesting by weeks end. Currently though, temperatures have been cooling overnight and are in the upper teens at 10,000’ and in the mid 20’s at the trailheads. Winds are out of the southwest, with hourly averages in the low 20’s and gusts in upper 30’s along the ridges. No new snow has fallen in the past 24 hours, but the mid week dusting has helped to cushion the crusts on the sunny slopes and freshen up the powder on the shady aspects. The riding and turning conditions are surprisingly good.

Avalanche Conditions:

Today might be a good day to get a jump-start on your taxes and wait until about midweek when it looks like the riding conditions will dramatically improve. However, if you’re just dying to get out on the snow today and test out some of your new Christmas toys here’s some things to be on the lookout for. First off, the winds have been blowing steadily along the ridges for the past 3 days from a variety of directions forming wind drifts that are pretty much confined to the terrain above tree line. Most of the new wind drifts will be found on the leeward side of upper elevation ridges and they’re about a foot deep. As always, any recent deposit of wind drifted snow should be avoided.

Secondly, there are still isolated places where you could trigger a deeper avalanche. The most likely place- you probably already know the drill by now- steep, rocky terrain with a weak shallow snowpack

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is generally LOW today on most slopes at mid and lower elevations.

Above timberline the avalanche danger is MODERATE today on slopes steeper than 35 degrees with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. Human triggered avalanches are possible.

There are isolated areas at upper elevations where you could still trigger a deeper avalanche, especially on steep rocky slopes, with a shallow weak snowpack. In this type of terrain the avalanche danger remains MODERATE.

Mountain Weather:

Today we will see increasing clouds, warm temperatures, and gusty winds by evening. High temperatures at 10,000’ will be near freezing and at 8,000’ in the high 30’s. Overnight lows will be near 10 degrees. Winds will be out of the south and southwest and increase throughout the day. Tonight we should see strong winds with snow developing by late evening as the first in a series of Pacific storms begins to affect the region. A couple inches of snow are expected on Monday followed by a break in the action Tuesday. Tuesday night the pattern begins get quite moist and a potent weather system is slated to arrive Wednesday. If we can believe the computer models, it should be a busy weather week.

General Information:

We’re interested in what you’re seeing especially if you observe or trigger an avalanche. Call 1-800-662-4140, or 801-231-2170, or email to [email protected] or fax to 801-524-6301 and fill us in with all the details.

If you’d like to schedule a free snowmobile specific avalanche talk and or a field day, please call 801-231-2170.

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 Wednesday Dec. 29, 2004.

Thanks for calling!