Uintas

Updated Tuesday, November 26th at 06:00 AM

The avalanche danger is currently LOW at all elevations but could rise to MODERATE and human-triggered avalanches may become POSSIBLE as the day wears on. You could trigger small slabs of new and wind-drifted snow, 1-2’ deep, on slopes over 30° in steepness facing NW through E.

Although unlikely and small in size, any slide could be rough due to our shallow snowpack and may break through to old snow layers beneath.

The Uinta weather station network was upgraded this summer and all that real-time info is found here. Simply click on the "Western Uinta" tab and then the "Weather Stations" tab to find all your weather needs. You can also learn more by visiting here.

We are always looking for snow and avalanche observations or just general riding conditions.

So... if you see something, say something. You can reach our team directly by contacting Craig at [email protected], 801-231-2170, or Andy at [email protected], or 860-460-8142.

Issued on Tuesday, November 26th at 06:00, this forecast expires 24 hours after the date and time issued, but will be updated as conditions change.

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

Save the Date -- Saturday, December 7 | 17th Annual Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW) | Information and tickets are available here.

Joey was in Wolf Creek yesterday and reported a small wind slab that was remotely triggered from a distance. This avalanche was 1’ deep and 40’ wide, failing on old snow. Note that hard-slab characteristics could become tricky, allowing us to get further onto the slope before we trigger or kick the legs out from under it.

You can check out all the observations here.

Nowcast

The storm arrived overnight, delivering 2-3” of medium-density snow across the range. Trailhead temperatures hover just under 30 ℉ at 5:00 AM at 7,500’ and closer to 20℉ at 10,000’, and may feel much colder with wind chill. Moderate winds are blowing from the south-southwest around 25 mph and gusting into the 40’s.

Forecast

This storm may not be a major event, but it's a solid start to the season for the Uintas. Expect winds to shift westward in the early morning hours, with gusts reaching 40 mph, enhancing snowfall intensity. Anticipate consistent snow, wind, and moisture throughout the day, with up to 1' of higher-density snow likely accumulating in the region. Daytime high temperatures will remain steady before dropping into the teens overnight as cold air moves into the area.

Futurecast

While it's disappointing that the storm appears short-lived and may shift south of our area, the southern portions of the range, such as the Wolf Creek and Current Creek zones, are still expected to receive respectable snowfall totals, with just over a foot likely. Snow showers may persist into Wednesday morning before the system moves out of the area.

Snowpack and Travel

I worked my way around Wolf Creek Pass on Sunday to gather information on snow surfaces, snow depths, and overall structure prior to this active weather pattern. Generally, the snow structure is weak and consists of faceted and decomposing snow. On slopes that see the sun you may find a crust that breaks things up, while at the same time providing support to keep us off the ground for turning and traveling. Ted was on the north half of the range near Mirror Lake yesterday and saw similar structure and noted “The snowpack is still shallow and is mostly sugary, faceted snow that does not have a lot of base to it.” He also mentioned, “The winds have created some stiff wind slabs that would easily break as you traveled over them and these are resting on weak, faceted, old snow.” This affirms what I saw Sunday on my travels in the south half of the range.