Advisory: Uintas Area Mountains | Issued by Craig Gordon for December 2, 2012 - 6:06am |
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Above treeline
Near treeline
Below treeline
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bottom line Terrain to avoid- steep, upper elevation, north facing slopes above treeline where you'll find a MODERATE avalanche danger. Fresh wind drifts will be reactive to the weight of a rider, breaking wider than you might expect. It's shallow out there and triggering even a small slide could take you for a season ending ride through rocks, stumps, and trees. LOW avalanche danger exists on wind sheltered slopes.
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special announcement Mirror Lake Highway is closed and plowing is done for the season. Wolf Creek Pass remains open, but don't let the easy access to nearby terrain lull you into a false sense of security. Be prepared for your own self rescue. Wear and know how to use a beacon, shovel, and probe. |
current conditions A strong Pacific system is churning to the west of us and should be slamming into the state late this afternoon. In the mean time southerly winds cranked up around 8:00 last night and are currently blowing 25-40 mph along the ridges, gusting into the 50's and 60's along the high peaks. Temperatures are mild, in the mid 30's at most locations. No new snow fell overnight, but Friday night's little storm laid down a smooth, spongy, velveteen coat that is helping to cushion some of the old hard snow surfaces. Today you'll find the best riding in mid elevation, wind sheltered, north facing terrain. Check out this brief tutorial detailing the setup near Wolf Creek Pass where Trent and I stomped around Friday. South facing terrain is looking pretty brushy even at the upper elevations.
On the other side of the compass, North facing slopes are a bit spotty as well, but better coverage is found on low angle, rock free, wind sheltered meadows. Recent snow and avalanche observations can be found here. Wondering why last winter was so crazy? Click here to watch the 2011-12 Utah Winter Review... an excellent recap of last years conditions. |
recent activity On Friday, Ted found a pockety, shallow, and rather stubborn hard slab in upper elevation terrain around Bald Mountain. Click here to view his report. |
type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
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Above treeline
Near treeline
Below treeline
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description
Our avalanche problems have been pretty benign so far this year, but the recent dry spell created a weak layer of sugary facets that were capped and preserved by Friday night's storm. It'll be a day of rising avalanche danger as the storm gets underway and winds continue to crank. It never ceases to amaze me how the Uinta terrain can funnel winds and snow into upper elevation leeward slopes, creating dense, thick slabs that are reactive to the additional weight of a rider. Popular slopes like Yamaha Hill, Double Hill, and Tower Mountain are perfect examples. Fortunately we have options and can avoid steep wind drifted terrain and still have a blast today. Isolated to the high terrain in the wind zone, today's fresh slabs are shallow and manageable in size this morning, but may fracture a little wider and deeper than you might expect, especially as the day wares on. By late in the day avalanches will start to pack a punch and could easy slam you into a group of tress or take you for a season ending ride through rocks and stumps. Best to continue avoiding steep upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass, especially those where the snow surface looks fat and rounded or sounds hollow like a drum.
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weather Today we can expect increasing clouds, strong winds, and snow developing late in the day. Temperatures remain mild with highs in the mid to upper 30's. South and southwest winds will nuke along the ridges with gusts in the 60's and 70's by late in the day. Snow levels will be high initially, but lower as the cold front reaches the region tonight. Temperatures crash into the teens once the cold front arrives and we can expect new snow totals in the 6"-10" range by morning. The storm quickly winds down Monday and high pressure begins to build. A weak brush-by is slated for Wednesday with dry conditions expected to wrap up the work week. |
general annoucements Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can call me directly at 801-231-2170, email [email protected], or email by clicking HERE This is a great time of year to schedule a free avalanche awareness presentation for your group or club. You can contact me at 801-231-2170 or email [email protected] Donate to your favorite non-profit –The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center. The UAC depends on contributions from users like you to support our work. The information in this advisory is from the US Forest Service which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur. The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Wednesday December 5th. |