Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Uintas Area Mountains Issued by Craig Gordon for Saturday - March 8, 2014 - 4:36am
bottom line

At and above treeline in the wind zone, a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists and human triggered avalanches are probable on all steep, wind drifted slopes, particularly those facing the north half of the compass. Once triggered, today's avalanches can break deep and wide, creating a very dangerous slide.

The danger of wet avalanche activity will rise to MODERATE during the heat of the day and human triggered avalanches will become possible on steep sun exposed slopes as the day wares on.

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special announcement

It is with great sorrow that I have to report an avalanche accident which occurred late yesterday near Gold Hill in Whitney Basin. We have very few details, but what I do know is one snowmobiler was caught and killed. We will visit the site this morning and have more details later today.
current conditions

Skies cleared late yesterday in the wake of a little storm that delivered 3"-5" of snow across the range. Winds turned north and northeasterly overnight and have been blowing 20-30 mph with a few gusts in the low 40's along the high peaks. Temperatures are in the mid teens and low 20's. It'll be a stellar day in the mountains where riding and turning conditions are outstanding on a go anywhere base.

Click here for current winds, temperatures, and snowfall throughout the range.

Click here for trip reports and avalanche observations.
recent activity

Completely unmanageable and unpredictable, these are the kind of avalanches we're dealing with in the western Uinta's right now.

On Monday, we scoped out this huge natural slide seen here in Upper Chalk Creek. Ten feet deep and over a 1/2 mile wide, this occurred sometime last Saturday as a result of the epic wind event. More info can be found here and a viddy overview here.

More avalanche activity is found here.
Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Here's the deal.... our snowpack is dangerous and not the kind of scary that lasts a few days and then we're good to go. This is the kind of scary that lingers for weeks and is extremely hard to manage because avalanches are breaking so historically deep and wide. Steep, rocky terrain facing the north half of the compass is our problem child. The only way to manage unmanageable avalanches that break to the ground is with your terrain choices. Simply avoid being on or underneath slopes with these type of characteristics. Done and done!

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Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

The sun is high in the sky and it's beating down on all aspects and nearly all elevations. As the snow heats up, you'll want to get off of and out from under steep, sunny slopes and avoid terrain traps like gullies where wet debris can stack up very deeply.
weather

As high pressure builds, a beautiful day is on tap for the region. Look for sunny skies, temperatures climbing into the mid 30's, and northerly winds blowing 15-30 mph along the high peaks. Slight warmer for Sunday and then a southwesterly flow develops ahead of the next storm system which crosses the area late Monday through Tuesday.
general announcements

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]

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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.

I will update this advisory by 7:00 AM on Sunday Mar. 9, 2014 or sooner if conditions warrant.