Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Uintas Area Mountains Issued by Craig Gordon for Sunday - April 16, 2017 - 4:50am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is generally LOW today and both natural and human triggered avalanches are unlikely.




special announcement

And then, there was none... day that is. Today, Sunday, April 16th is the last of the regularly scheduled western Uinta Advisories. I will post some general avy info tomorrow morning to help you navigate through the spring riding season in our absence.

My colleagues and I want to thank you for all the support! Click here to check out a viddy, producer extraordinaire Trent Meisenheimer put together, explaining some of the hazards to keep an eye on as the springtime snowpack evolves.

The gate on the Evanston side of the Mirror Lake Highway 150 was opened Saturday. There is still a little snow/ice on the road between where the gate is and Bear River Ranger Station. The parking lot at Bear River Ranger Station has been plowed to allow those with snowmobile trailers to turn around and unload. It is not recommended to drive on the highway beyond the ranger station.​

current conditions

Skies are clear and temperatures in the mid 20's, about 10 degrees warmer than yesterday at this time. Winds switched to the west and southwest and have been blowing steadily in the teens and 20's since yesterday morning.

Above... 24 hour wind data from Windy Peak (10,166') and current snow depths at Trial Lake (9,992')

Real time temperatures, snowfall and wind for the western Uintas are found here.

Don't get discouraged with a little dry pavement... the Uintas are phat and white.

Snowpack observations and trip reports are found here.

recent activity

No significant avalanches to report.

A full list of Uinta 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

The snowpack is solid this morning and I think you'd be hard pressed to trigger a significant avalanche today. However, if you're getting into steep, committing terrain, remember that even a small slide can take you for an unexpected, body bruising ride. In addition, avalanche conditions can change very rapidly this time of year, especially with the strong springtime sun, high in the sky. So, if you're hopping from one drainage to another take a moment or two and reevaluate the conditions before dropping in. And finally, cornices are epically huge and should be avoided.

weather

After a sunny start, clouds thicken for the afternoon and evening hours. Highs reach into the low 50's and southwest winds blow in the 30's along the high ridges. A weak storm slides through Utah tomorrow but produces little or no precipitation. A stronger storm has potential for significant snow beginning Tuesday afternoon and continuing through Wednesday.

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]

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 on Monday April 17th with some general avy awareness information.