Uintas Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Craig Gordon

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

While the avalanche danger is generally LOW, there are still places where you could trigger a slide today. Likely suspects are steep, upper elevation wind drifted slopes, especially those with a pre-existing snowpack, facing east, northeast, north and northwest. In this type of terrain a MODERATE avalanche danger exists and human triggered avalanches are possible.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Clouds started streaming into the area yesterday and gusty southwest winds nuked along the ridges, all ahead of a not too impressive cold front slated to impact the region in the next few hours. Temperatures are in the upper teens at 10,000’ and low to mid 20’s at the trailheads. Total snow depths are grim and only average about 12”-14” above 9,500’.


RECENT ACTIVITY

No recent avalanche activity to report


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Yesterday’s southwest winds were ruthless along the ridges, gusting into the 40’s and 50’s all day. Surprisingly, there was enough old snow available for transport and shallow wind drifts formed not only along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges, but around chutes and gullies and much further down slope than you might expect. While easy to detect and manageable in size, given the lack of snow cover right now and all the obstacles buried under our thin façade of snow, getting caught in even a small slide could result in season ending consequences.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

This morning, winds will back off and switch to the west averaging 10-20 mph with a few gusts in the 30’s along the high ridges. High temperatures won’t vary much and storm totals look depressingly bleak…. perhaps an inch or two, before skies clear tonight and overnight low temperatures drop into the upper single digits. Partly cloudy skies are on tap for Sunday with a better chance of snow for the late Sunday/early Monday timeframe.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted. It’s still pretty early in the season and until there’s enough snow to really get things rolling, I will update this information as conditions warrant.

If you’re getting out and about and trigger an avalanche or see anything interesting please drop me an email at craig@utahavalanchecenter.org or call 801-231-2170

Also, now is a great time to schedule one of our free avalanche awareness presentations for your group or club. Email or call me and we’ll get you booked before things get too crazy.


This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done.  This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.


This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.