Lawinenlagebericht

Moab

Utah Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

  • Hochgebirge
  • Waldgrenze
  • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 5 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Most terrain has generally LOW danger.

A MODERATE avalanche danger exists on steep slopes facing NW through E above treeline where it still may be possible to trigger a large, deep, and very dangerous hard slab avalanche failing on a buried persistent weak layer. This is a low probability, high consequence scenario. Likely trigger points include thin, rocky areas, slopes with steep convexities, and areas of more extreme terrain.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    3

    A persistent weak layer of of sugary, faceted snow exists at the base of the snow pack and dense slab 3'-6' thick is sitting on top. Time, warmer temperatures, and compression from the load are helping to heal this weak layer, and snow pits and stability tests performed by myself and local observers indicate that it is gaining strength. Generally speaking, the deeper the snowpack, the stronger it is. This weak layer still remains a concern in areas where the snowpack is thin, and therefore much more easily affected by the weight of a skier or rider.

    Photo illustrates strong slab over weak, October facets. Extended column tests produced no results and it's becoming harder for the weight of a skier or rider to affect this basal weak layer. Propagation saw tests however show that it is still possible for a slab to fail and propagate. Shallower snowpack areas are likely trigger points.

Special Announcement

The beacon training park is up and running above the Geyser Pass Trailhead. Pull out your beacon and practice your skills as you head up the trail! A huge thanks to Moab Gear Trader for their support of this great resource!

Road Conditions: The road to Geyser Pass Trailhead is plowed but snow packed and slick. AWD and good tires are recommended.

Grooming: Matt from LUNA was up again yesterday keeping conditions fresh. With deteriorating snow surfaces, fresh corduroy may be the best game in town!

Recent Activity

No new avalanches have been reported since the Dec 31 avalanche cycle. Go here for the complete list.

Snow and Weather

24 Hour Snow 0" 72 Hour Snow 0" Base Depth in Gold Basin 41" Wind NW 10-15 Temp 19F

Gold Basin SNOTEL site (10,000')

Storm Totals in Gold Basin

Wind Station on Pre Laurel Peak (11,700')

NWS Weather Forecast

Dry, northwest flow keeps us under sunny and warm conditions. A weak trough on Tuesday might bring us some clouds. There's still nothing out in the long term to get excited about.

Snowpack

How to liven up the discussion? Though the odds of triggering a large avalanche continue to decrease, a persistent weak layer of faceted snow still exists at the base of the snow pack on northerly aspects. Observations sent in over the past week indicate that this weak layer is gaining strength in some areas, while I have found it to still be dry, loose, and sugary in others. It's called spatial variability, and Charlie Ramser describes it well in his recent observation. Wind loading and wind stripping create varying depths across the snow pack. Deeper areas tend to be stronger, while shallower areas tend to be weaker. In thinner snowpack areas, the buried weak layer is also more easily affected by the weight of a skier or rider. This is why we say likely trigger points include thinner snowpack areas such as the lines along slope margins, near rocky outcrops, steep convexities, or on slopes that have previously avalanched. Careful terrain choices are imperative if you are considering stepping out. We are moving into a low probability, but high consequence situation and all it takes is finding the right trigger point.

We took a trip up into the high country in Gold Basin on Thursday. See video report below.

General Announcements

Who's up for some free avalanche training? Get a refresher, become better prepared for an upcoming avalanche class, or just boost your skills. Go to https://learn.kbyg.org/ and scroll down to Step 2 for a series of interactive online avalanche courses produced by the UAC.

This forecast is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

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