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.

special Avalanche ADVISORY

thursday January 13, 2005

Good morning, this is Craig Gordon with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with a special avalanche and mountain weather advisory for the western Uinta Mountains. Today is Thursday, January 13, 2005 and it’s 7:00 a.m.

Announcements:

We’re experiencing some technical difficulties with the Moffit Peak weather station. Hopefully I’ll have those worked out once the storm cycle ends. Thanks for your patience.

For recent avalanche photos click here.

Current Conditions:

Under clear skies and a stable northwest flow, temperatures are near 10 degrees at the trailheads and close to zero along the ridges. Upper elevation, northwesterly winds have been strong for the past 24 hours, averaging 30 mph with gusts near 50 mph along the most exposed ridgelines.

Avalanche Conditions:

With clear skies and plenty of visibility yesterday, more reports of large natural avalanches continued to stream in. The common theme with all of these observations were the slides averaged 4’-10’ deep, were several hundred feet wide, taking out 50-100 year old trees, and running farther than anyone can remember. Today’s colder temperatures may help the snowpack to become a little more locked in place and I think the natural avalanche activity won’t be quite as widespread as in recent days. However, I’d continue to avoid avalanche run out zones as slides still have the potential to over run what we normally think of as historic “safe” places. If you’re getting out today you should still stay off of and out from under any steep slope. If you do trigger an avalanche today it will be large, dangerous, and quite possibly unsurvivable. People without well-developed route finding, avalanche, and rescue skills should continue avoid backcountry travel.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE today on all steep slopes, especially those with recent deposits of wind-drifted snow. Human triggered avalanches are probable and natural avalanches are possible.

Remember; even if you’re playing on low angle terrain be aware of steep slopes above and adjacent to you.

Mountain Weather:

A stable northwest flow will persist over the region today bringing with it colder temperatures, partly cloudy skies, and strong ridge top winds. Highs today at 10,000’ will be in the low teens and at 8,000’ near 20 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the single digits. Winds will be out of the northwest for the next couple of days and strong at the upper elevations blowing 20-30 mph with higher gusts possible. A few snow showers are possible tonight through the weekend with little accumulation expected.

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 Saturday Jan. 15, 2005 or sooner if conditions warrant.

Thanks for calling!