Uintas Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Grant Helgeson

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

We recently installed three weather stations which are up and running in Weber Canyon and along the Mirror Lake Highway. A fourth will be online soon. Click here for current winds, temperatures and snow accumulations.


BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

The avalanche danger is MODERATE on all upper elevation slopes as well as shady mid elevation slopes. Do not let the moderate danger lull you into complacency. A dangerous and very serious persistent slab exists on upper elevation terrain that faces Northwest, North, Northeast & East. In addition, a pockety wind slab exists on the lee sides of ridges in upper elevation terrain. Once moving, the wind slab has potential to trigger persistent slabs that will fail at the ground and scour slopes to the dirt. In other words, these will NOT be manageable avalanches. The hazard is LOW on all other aspects and elevations.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

You'll find a little bit of everything out riding in the Uintas today; wind-skin, re-crystallized "powder", even a melt freeze crust. But, the important thing is this: A shallow and very weak snowpack exists in the Western Uintas. Our snowpack is averaging 30". In many locations, you'll be riding right on the ground. Stumps, rocks & downed tree's are not covered up yet.

Winds are light and erratic while temps hover around 10 F at 5:00am.


RECENT ACTIVITY

No recent activity. Check here for recent observations. Look for observations from the "Uintas" region.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Do not let the moderate hazard lull you into complacency. A persistent slab exists on high & mid elevation shady slopes. Repeat testing shows that the slab is still sensitive to a medium trigger. The persistent slab will be pockety in nature, likely 75' - 150' wide, but when triggered, it will fail at the ground, and take the entire season's snowpack with it.

With our erratic and persistent winds it's hard to tell which slopes avalanched after the mid December storm & which didn't. If it did slide, it's likely not very good riding. Slopes that didn't slide are pretty tempting to the snow staved rider but, it's a high risk venture. If you trigger one of these slabs, it will not be a "manageable" avalanche. It will fail at the ground, and it will fail as a slab. These are the kind of avalanches that kill people.

It's possible to have a great day out there making conservative decisions in moderate terrain. Pushing the envelope has potentially devastating consequences.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Winds have been erratic in the high alpine, but they have been at the threshold speed for moving snow. Combine this with loose snow available for transport and presto, we have a wind slab on various aspects at upper elevations. This hazard will present with a stiff hollow hard-slab like feel. While pockety in nature, they have the potential to separate rider from machine. It doesn't take a very big avalanche to strain a rider through the trees.

Once the wind slab is moving, it has potential to step down into our deeper slab too.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Weak high pressure will give way this afternoon to a very minor disturbance which may produce some flurries in the Uintas this afternoon, although no significant snowfall is expected. Tuesday's system continues to weaken and will not be much of a producer for our neck of the woods. Unfortunately, we'll enter another ridge of high pressure mid week. A pretty bleak forecast for us snow lovers.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted. Craig will update this forecast by 7:00 AM Wednesday December 30th.

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.