Lawinenlagebericht

Uintas

Utah Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

  • Hochgebirge
  • Waldgrenze
  • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 6 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

The western Uinta snowpack is starting to relax, but remains tricky. Once triggered, today's avalanches will break deeper and wider than you might expect, resulting in a dangerous slide.

At and above treeline in the wind zone, today you'll find pockets of CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger. Human triggered avalanches are LIKELY on steep, wind drifted slopes. Steep terrain facing the north half of the compass, and particularly slopes with an easterlycomponent to its aspect are most suspect.

Mid elevation slopes offer MODERATE avalanche danger and human triggered avalanches are POSSIBLE on steep, shady slopes.

Here's your exit strategy-

LOW avalanche danger is found on low elevation slopes, particularly those facing south, but snow cover is super thin.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Even though it's nearly a week old, the snowmobile triggered slide in the image above from last Friday in Hoyt Peak Bowl, illustrates the type of unpredictable avalanche dragon we're dealing with. Breaking 18-24"deep and 200' wide, in a steep rocky section where the snowpack is slightly shallower and weaker... this slide was triggered lower on the slope than we would expect.

    Crazy how nothing's changed with our persistent weak layer, but that's why anything "persistent" in our snowpack takes a long time to heal and sometimes remains active 'til it flows out of our taps in the summer.

    So here's the deal- the snowpack is complex, we have a persistent weak layer in the mid portion of the pack, and this fragile structure experienced a rapid change when last Tuesday's storm slammed down on it. And while there were a few natural avalanches, many slopes hang in the balance waiting for a trigger like us to roll along and knock the legs out from underneath. We don't need to be on the slope... just connected to it.

    But you don't have to ride blind... so, tweak small test slopes, looking for and listening to signs of unstable snow like whoomping sounds and sudden collapses of the snowpack or shooting cracks in front of your skis, board, or sled. And of course the biggest clue of all... recent avalanches, especially on the same types of slopes you wanna ride on.

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    2

    The image above illustrates increasing winds overnight at the Windy Peak weather station at 10,600'.

    There's not an abundance of snow available to blow around, but as we know, the Uinta's are a big place and I bet you can find a stiff drift that'll react to our additional weight. The ticket for today is steering clear of steep wind drifted slopes and terrain features like chutes and gullies, especially if they appear fat and rounded or sound hollow like a drum. And remember... our snowpack is super shallow and triggering even a small slide can take you for a body-bruising ride through rocks and stumps barely hidden under the thin snowpack.

Special Announcement

Huge thanks to Backcountry. Com and Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association for hosting last nights "State of the Snowpack" event and a big shout out to everyone who took time out of their night to join me.

With great sadness, the Utah Avalanche Center reports that a 31-year old male snowboarder from Clinton, Utah, was killed in a backcountry avalanche in Dutch Draw off of Silver Peak, located on the Park City Ridgeline. The final report for the avalanche fatality is posted here

If you're searching for an alternative to avoid dangerous backcountry conditions, well look no further. Thanks to the generous support of our local resorts, Ski Utah, and Backcountry, discount lift tickets are now available. Support the UAC while you ski at the resorts this season. Tickets are available here.

Recent Activity

No significant avalanche activity to report from yesterday, but plenty of recent trip reports are found by simply clicking here.

Remember.... solid decision making is paramount because our front-line health care workers are maxed out. So, let's collectively think about our decisions and the consequences that may have on others.

Snow and Weather

Nowcast-

What a way to run a winter... we're doing the south-side shuffle with the remnants of an atmospheric river. That gives us mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 20's, while west and southwest winds blow in the 30's and 40's along the high ridges. There's no recent new snow to report and average snow depth totals hover right around three feet. Remember to tread lightly, it's still low tide in the Uinta's and travel is sorta limited to road rides and grassy slopes.

Forecast-

Look for increasing clouds with a slight chance of a passing snow shower or two. High temperatures climb into the low 30's. Westerly winds ramp up during the day with hourly averages in the 40's, gusting into the 60's and 70's by about dinnertime.

Futurecast-

A few lingering clouds are on tap for Thursday. High pressure builds to round out the work week.

Looking for real-time temps, snow, or wind?

Click here and then on the "western Uinta" tab for western Uinta specific, weather station network.

Additional Info

Andy Nassetta moved the avalanche transceiver checkpoint down to it's winter home at the Nobletts Trailhead. Please make sure to swing by and make sure your avy gear is on your body, sending a signal, and functioning properly

I'll update this forecast by 7:00 AM tomorrow, Thursday January 14th.

Your observations are import, so please let me know what you're seeing... click HERE and contribute to this amazing community based program

General Announcements

If you see or trigger an avalanche or just wanna let me know what you're seeing you can reach me directly at 801-231-2170 or [email protected]

The information in this forecast is from the US Forest Service which is solely responsible for its content.

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