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 february 20, 2005

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, February 20, 2005 and it’s 7:00 a.m.

Announcements:

A beacon-training center has been installed at the Nobletts trailhead and “Beacon Basin” up and running!
Many thanks go out to Backcountry Access for supplying all the equipment, Doug Page and all the 
volunteers who provided manpower, Jim Conway who was the brains behind the operation, and the
Kamas and Heber Ranger Districts, along with State Parks and The Utah Snowmobile Association
for their in-kind support. Swing by and check it out before going on the snow. It’s free and within walking 
distance from the parking lot.
 
The Moffit Peak weather station is back in operation. This site was made possible through generous donations
from BRORA, The Utah Snowmobile Association, and the National Weather Service. You can view data by clicking here.

For recent avalanche photos click here.

Current Conditions:

Another band of moisture has worked its way into the region overnight and currently light snow is falling. 24-hour storm totals are nearing 6” of dense snow at the upper elevations. Southerly winds have been averaging 10 to 15 mph with gusts in the mid 20’s along the ridges. Temperatures are in the mid to upper 20’s at the trailheads and in the upper teens at 11,000’. Yesterdays wind damaged a lot of upper elevation terrain and down low you can still feel the old crusts. However, mid elevation shady wind sheltered slopes offer up some deluxe creamy powder.

Avalanche Conditions:

Things got active yesterday afternoon as the wind slabs became more widespread and sensitive. One party reported remotely triggering an avalanche 1’-2’ deep, 100’ wide, running 300 vertical feet, on a steep northeast aspect at about 9,800’. Fortunately, no one was caught, but this helps to illustrate how tricky the avalanche conditions are getting. Most of yesterdays wind slabs will now be covered over with new snow from last night, making them hard to detect. Your best bet for traveling safely today and getting home unscathed to watch the Daytona 500 is to watch your slope angles and avoid any steep slope that faces the north half of the compass. For starters that’s where you’ll find most of the wind slabs lurking and also some of our weakest snow is on these shady aspects. Yesterdays wind was nuking up high and wind drifts would have formed in chutes, gullies, and a little further down slope than you might suppose.

Avalanches triggered today maybe a little more stubborn than yesterday and that’s why you’ll really need to be on your toes. Once triggered, avalanches have the potential to step down into weaker layers in the snowpack, creating a much deeper and wider avalanche than you might expect. The danger will be most pronounced at the upper elevations.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE today on upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass steeper than about 35 degrees, especially those with recent deposits of wind-drifted snow. Human triggered avalanches are probable and natural avalanches possible.

At mid elevations the avalanche danger is MODERATE on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees with recent wind drifts and human triggered avalanches are possible.

In wind-sheltered terrain and on slopes less steep than about 35 degrees the avalanche danger is generally LOW.

Mountain Weather:

A low-pressure system off the California coast will continue to pump moisture into northern Utah today. We can expect mostly cloudy skies with periods of snow especially this morning. Another 4”-8” is expected today, then it should turn more showery with maybe another inch or two tonight. Temperatures will be mild with highs at 8,000’ in the lower 30’s and at 10,000’ near 24 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the lower 20’s. Winds will be out of the southwest this morning, switching to the west later in the day and blowing 15-25 mph along the ridges. There is a slight chance of lightening late this afternoon and this evening. We should see a break in the action on Monday, followed by a similar storm for the middle of the week.

General Information:

We’re interested in what you’re seeing especially if you see 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 Monday Feb. 21, 2005 with a special holiday advisory.

Thanks for calling!