In the wind zone at and above treeline, especially on slopes facing the north half of the compass the avalanche danger is HIGH. Human triggered avalanches are VERY LIKELY on any wind drifted slope harboring old snow near the ground.
Steep, mid elevation terrain facing the north half of the compass offers CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger and human triggered avalanches are LIKELY.
In either case- dangerous avalanche conditions exist and any slide triggered could have severe consequences.
Lose the old snow... you lose the problem and the avalanche danger drops dramatically.
Recent winds coupled with fresh snow, formed a fresh batch of wind drifts sensitive to our additional weight. Found mostly on steep mid and upper elevation leeward slopes, as always, don't let your guard down. Be on the lookout for and avoid any fat, rounded piece of snow especially if it sounds hollow like a drum. (Michael Janulaitis photo)
This weeks snow and water totals are starting to stack up and there's some great riding to be had. However, this additional load is beginning to tease the strength of our early season snowpack. While it's encouraging to see the pack grow and develop, we've gotta think not only about the snow we're riding in, but also the snow we're riding on and we know it's structure is questionable. As a matter of fact, recent backcountry observations of cracking and collapsing are huge clues verifying our suspicions.
Remember, a lot of weather has happened in the past few weeks- in most locations we doubled our total snowpack since Thanksgiving Day and yes, we finally have some terrain to ride. Unfortunately, riding and turning options are still very limited with the deepest snow found on mid and upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass. But here's the problem... that's exactly the type of terrain that harbors weak snow near the ground and that's exactly where we could still trigger an avalanche that breaks deeper and wider than we might expect. The end result is an unmanageable slide that gets quickly out of hand, dragging us through as it a myriad of hidden obstacles like stumps and rocks that will easily ruin your day or end your season. So, I'm playing it safe with conservative terrain choices and by riding slopes that had no old snow prior to the big storm.
Plowing is done on Mirror Lake Highway, but Wolf Creek Pass is still open. However, just 'cause you can see your rig parked near Wolf Creek, doesn't mean the terrain you're choosing to ride is good to go.
Remember- this is the time of year where most of us get tricked thinking there isn't enough snow to avalanche. Unfortunately, this is also the type of setup when most close calls and accidents occur. If you are getting out and about, be prepared for your own self rescue. Wear and know how to use an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe.
We are very proud to introduce our new website for the 2018-19 winter season. This will provide an easier and cleaner way to view all of the snow and avalanche information that you've come to rely on. We are quite happy with how the new website performs on mobile devices as well. We think you'll find the desktop or laptop experience pleasant as well. We are still tying up some loose ends so bear with us.
Visibility was less than zero, but backcountry riders report lots of cracking and collapsing yesterday... huge red flags to unstable snow.
I overheard Jumpin' Jack Flash say "Gimme Shelter" as last night's cold front roared through the region like a crossfire hurricane. Strong winds, lightening, and a burst of heavy snow quickly stacked up 4"-6" of snow as the front hit the mountains. In it's wake, skies are partly cloudy, current temperatures in the single digits, and northwest winds blow in the 50's along the high peaks. Riding and turning conditions improve with each little blast of snow, but remain largely limited to low angle, rock free meadows and road rides.
We are working to get the entire Uinta weather network back online. In the meantime, above is 24 hour data from Trail Lake (9945') and Windy Peak (10,662')
The image above clearly illustrates a savvy group that got their turns in while avoiding the avy hazard. Looks pretty straight-forward, but here's the problem... as snow stacks up and terrain terrain turns white, even slopes we're familiar with can appear uniform and small nuances in aspect can mean the difference between riding safely and triggering an avalanche. So here's your exit strategy.... just like the crew above, simply swing around to south facing slopes or lower elevation terrain which had no old snow prior to the big storm and you can ride without the worry of avalanches breaking to weak snow near the ground.
A happy cat realizes winter is finally here as the Mirror Lake Highway from the Evanston side of the range is closed.
This portion of the storm is winding down and we should expect to see a morning break with partly cloudy skies and northwest winds decreasing into the 30's and 40's as the day wares on. Temperatures slowly climb out of the deep freeze with highs reaching into the upper teens. Another piece of energy slides through the region producing light snow with a couple additional inches expected by Sunday morning.
The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Sunday December 2nd, 2018.
If you're getting out and about, please let me know what you're seeing especially if you see or trigger and avalanche. I can be reached at [email protected] or 801-231-2170
It's also a good time to set up one of our very popular avalanche awareness classes. Reach out to me and I'll make it happen.
This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
