Wasatch Cache and Uinta National Forests

In partnership with: Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah State Parks,

Tri-City Performance, Polaris, the Utah Snowmobile Association, the National Weather Service, BRORA, and Backcountry Access.

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Avalanche advisory

wednesdAY january 25, 2006

This advisory expires 24 hours from the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:30 am saturday january 28, 2006.

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 Wednesday, January 25, 2006 and it’s 7:00 a.m. Avalanche advisories for the western Uintas are available on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and all holidays.

This advisory covers the terrain from Daniels Summit, to Mirror Lake, to the North Slope of the western Uinta Mountains. That’s a lot of turf and I can’t be in all of these places at once. Your snow and avalanche observations are critical to this program and help to save other riders lives by getting accurate information out to the public. I’m interested in what you’re seeing especially if you see or trigger an avalanche. Please call 1-800-662-4140, or 801-231-2170, or email to [email protected] and fill us in with all the details.

Announcements:

“Beacon Basin” is good to go and ready to use at the Noblett’s Trailhead. While you’re waiting for your partners 
to gear up, swing by and test your avalanche beacon skills. It’s free and easily accessible from the parking lot. A big thanks 
goes out to members of the Utah Snowmobile Association for assisting in the installation and to Backcountry Access for 
providing all the gear. 
 
A special thanks to Tri-City Performance, Polaris and The Utah Snowmobile Association for stepping up to the plate 
and partnering to provide a new sled for the Utah Avalanche Center’s western Uinta avalanche forecasting program. 
 
The Moffit Peak weather station is up and running. This site was made possible through generous donations
by BRORA, The Utah Snowmobile Association, and the National Weather Service. You can view data by clicking here.

For avalanche photos click here.

Current Conditions:

High, thin clouds are just starting to drift into the region as a low pressure system nearing Nevada begins to affect our weather. Southerly winds increased late last night and are blowing 20-30 mph over the highest ridges. It’s remained rather mild overnight and currently temperatures are in the mid 20’s at 11,000’ and the same down at the trailheads at 8,000’. No new snow has fallen since late Saturday night and the winds have had their way with the beautiful light powder up high, sculpting it into a lunar landscape in some places. However don’t get too discouraged- because good creamy powder can still be found on mid elevation, wind protected shady slopes.

Avalanche Conditions:

It was a good run while it lasted and by some accounts, the past week has possibly been the best powder riding all year. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, unfortunately though, ours came to a screeching halt. Yesterday my partner Ted and I went out to assess the wind damage at the upper elevations and boy were we surprised at how widespread it was. All the great light powder snow had been transformed into funky breakable crusts and stout wind slabs. These slabs have a variety of surface snow weaknesses underneath them and we could crack out medium sized pockets of slab on steep wind loaded slopes. While the snowpack is mostly stable and you could ride for hundreds of miles without triggering an avalanche, up high there are stiff hard slabs that formed in the past few days and some fresh new wind drifts that formed overnight. An avalanche triggered in an old or new wind drift could be big enough to knock you off your feet or machine and take you for a ride today. You’ll need to be on the lookout for these and they often appear dull in texture and have a distinct, hollow drum-like sound while you’re walking or riding on them. The snow has set up nicely and folks are punching out some bold lines, but personally I’d think about consequences and avoid any steep, wind loaded upper elevation slope. Even a short ride through a thick group of trees is going to leave both you and your ego bruised and battered.

Bottom Line:

Most areas have a stable snowpack and the avalanche danger is generally LOW.

If you’re getting into steep, radical terrain at the upper elevations be alert for both old and recent deposits of wind drifted snow. Above tree line there are pockets of MODERATE avalanche danger on slopes approaching 40 degrees in steepness. A MODERATE avalanche danger means human triggered avalanches are possible.

Mountain Weather:

Today we should see increasing clouds throughout the day as the first in a series of Pacific systems begin to work their way into our area. The first system brings clouds, wind and mild temperatures, with just a flurry or two developing late tonight. Highs at 8,000’ will be in the low to mid 40’s and at 10,000’ near freezing. Temperatures will be dropping throughout the day and overnight lows will dip into the mid 20’s. Southerly winds will be a nuisance throughout the day, blowing 15-30 mph along the ridges. Thursday should be cold and cloudy with a slight chance of snow as the next system impacts the region. Our best shot of snow looks like it’ll arrive late Thursday and could linger into early Saturday morning. There’s a little uncertainty to the track of these systems, so snow amounts are tough to pin down right now.

General Information:

If you haven’t taken one of our free snowmobile specific avalanche awareness classes, schedule one now before things get too crazy. Give me a call at 801-231-2170 and I’d be happy to tailor a talk for your group.

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 expires 24 hours from the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:30 am on Saturday January 28, 2006.

Thanks for calling!