Uintas Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Craig Gordon

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Save the date…. and take a date! Our fourth annual Avy Ride, a fundraiser benefitting avalanche outreach and education specifically for snowmobilers, will be held Saturday Feb. 26th. We’re still working some elements out on our website, but you can get more details by clicking here.


BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

The buried surface hoar hasn't gone away. While the avalanche danger associated with this notoriously tricky layer is a Level 2 (MODERATE), the consequences of triggering an avalanche which fails on the buried surface hoar are severe. These conditions are most prevalent on mid and high elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass.

A few stubborn wind slabs will be found along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges and these may still be sensitive to the weight of a rider. A Level 2 (MODERATE) avalanche danger exists on steep, high elevation, wind drifted slopes.

The danger of wet avalanches will increase from Level 1 (LOW) to Level 2 (MODERATE) on steep sunny slopes, especially during the heat of the day.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Another beautiful day is on tap as high pressure remains camped out over the region. Temperatures are in the mid to upper teens and winds are light except for along the highest ridges where they’re blowing out of the west-southwest at 15-25 mph. Sunny slopes have taken on a little heat and are crusted this morning, but you can still find excellent soft, settled powder riding and turning conditions on northerly facing slopes.


RECENT ACTIVITY

A large slide was triggered in upper Chalk Creek late Wednesday. The avalanche was 2.5- 4 feet deep and over 600’ wide, breaking below the January rain crust and failing on a layer of perfectly preserved surface hoar. Click here for more details.

Grant and Reid also found similar snowpack conditions in Humpy Creek. Click here to look at that data.

For all Uinta snowpack and avalanche observations click here.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Our problem child, the buried and preserved surface hoar layer remains alive and well and all is not quiet on the eastern front. As a matter of fact the snowpack is sending very confusing signals. On one hand, many steep slopes are getting center punched and ridden without incident and you’re probably thinking what are the avy guys all sketched out about? That’s just the problem with a persistent buried weak layer and especially with the snowpack structure we’ve got going on right now. We don’t deal with a lot of surface hoar in Utah because this fragile feathery crystal is usually destroyed by either warmth or wind. Now that it’s buried in our snowpack and has a strong slab resting above it, we’ve got all the right ingredients for an avalanche. What makes this a particularly dangerous combination is you can trigger big avalanches from relatively flat terrain as evidenced by this week’s slide in Chalk Creek. Choosing terrain to match this type of avalanche dragon is difficult, especially if you’re not constantly digging into the snow analyzing the snowpack and its structural characteristics. However, we’ve already done a lot of this work for you and found this tricky condition most prevalent on mid and upper elevation slopes, especially those facing the north half of the compass. If you’re getting into this type of terrain, you gotta ride defensively. That means only having one person on the slope at a time and watching your partner from a distance at a safe location. Also, even if you’re on low angle terrain think about steep slopes above and connected to the slopes you’re riding on. Above all, think about the consequences of triggering an avalanche and have an escape route planned.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

A few shallow, stiff wind slabs linger along the leeward side of the highest ridges and these may still be sensitive to the weight of a rider. While mostly manageable in size and breaking at or below our skis, board or sled, take care one doesn’t take you for an unexpected ride into a group of trees or over a cliff.


THREAT #3

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

The sun is high in the sky and steep sun exposed slopes at lower elevations are starting to getting baked. Avoiding wet avalanches is easy. As the snow heats up and gets damp and gloppy, simply get off of steep sunny slopes and avoid terrain traps likes gullies, creek beds, and road cuts where wet avalanche debris can pile up very deeply.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

High pressure over the region through the weekend allows for dry and mild conditions, with occasional high clouds. Temperatures climb into the mid to upper 30’s with overnight low dipping into the low 20’s. A weak weather system passing north of the area tonight into Sunday brings an increase in winds along the ridges. Otherwise, not much going on until later next week when it looks like a return to an active weather pattern.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Sunday, Feb. 13th, 2011.

If you’re getting out and about and trigger an avalanche or see anything interesting please let us know here. Or drop Craig an email : craig@utahavalanchecenter.org or call 801-231-2170

The western Uinta advisory program is going full tilt and forecasts will be issued by 7:00 AM on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and all holidays.


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.