Uintas

Heads up... a series of increasingly strong winter storms are poised to slam into the region this week, changing the landscape and ramping up the avy danger.

For today, at and above treeline, you'll find MODERATE avalanche danger in steep, polar terrain facing the north half of the compass. Human triggered avalanches breaking two feet deep and a hundred feet wide are POSSIBLE. Here's where it gets tricky... today's avalanches can be triggered from a distance and will fail on persistent weak layers formed during the January dry-spell, delivering a punch-packing slide that breaks deeper and wider than we might expect.

Here's my exit strategy... I'm gonna tag some low angle, Valentine's Day love in polar terrain with no overhead hazard :)

Join the UAC for the first "Stay and Play Avalanche Course" at Bear River Lodge in the Uintas, March 19th-22nd. This course is designed for snowmobilers by snowmobilers, where you will learn avalanche rescue, riding skills, and how to survive in the backcountry. Come enjoy all the luxury offerings at Bear River Lodge and improve your skills along the way.

With a break in the weather yesterday, avy savvy, Weber Canyon local Trevor Katz, was able to get eyes on some steep, wind drifted, upper elevation terrain and reports a couple of natural avalanches in Upper Weber Canyon that fit the bill of shallow soft slabs failing on facets formed during the January dry spell.

If you're weak layer curious, be sure to check out this beautiful viddy, illustrating how snow crystals morph into structurally challenged grains.

View All Avalanches & Observations Here

Nowcast - Skies cleared overnight and thermometers reflect a more winter-like vibe with temperatures beginning the day in the low teens °F. Winds blowing 15-20 mph from the northwest add a bite to the air near the high peaks. No new snow overnight, but the midweek storm stacked up a solid foot of snow with over an inch of H20, delivering superb riding conditions, especially on low angle, upper elevation polar slopes where there's less bottom feeding on old snow surfaces.

Forecast - Short-lived high pressure furnishes a stunning day of love and a rosy forecast. Look for mostly sunny skies with high temperatures climbing into the upper 30's °F. Winds blow 10-20 mph from the northwest and remain relatively well-behaved this morning, but ramp into the 30-40 mph range and switch to the southwest by about dinnertime. Clouds increase late in the day and overnight lows dip into the mid 20's °F.

Futurecast - Encouraging news... a much anticipated change in the weather appears to be more than just a hunch or a Ouija board notion. High pressure shifts to the east late Sunday, opening the storm door with several robust systems slated to slide through northern Utah this week. The first impulse begins churning into our region late Monday with strong southerly winds and a warm before the storm, followed by a well-defined cold front coupled with a solid slug of moisture. We're sorting through the deets and will have a better handle on timing and storm progression for tomorrow's update.

Check out the Uinta Weather Network here!

Travel Conditions - Please don't get discouraged by the mud and patches of bare ground at the trailheads. Gain a little elevation and you'll see the recent storms have delivered a nice coat of white paint to the high country.

On Monday... Andy, Liam, and Juniper (the dog) installed a beacon training park near Wolf Creek Summit. It's super straight-forward and intuitive, and all the instructions are at the control center. Next time you see Liam or Andy, hit 'em up with a high-five for all the hard work. Truth be known... Juniper was only onboard because she thought the crew kept saying "bacon training park." So in lieu of a high-five, a back scratch or an Andy approved meat treat acknowledging Juniper's moral support will probably suffice :)

We have some upcoming classes and events that we'd be stoked to see you at -- Please reach out with any questions and check out below for more details!

See All Courses & Events Here

We are always looking for snow and avalanche observations or just general riding conditions. Reach out to us with questions, concerns, or if you see anything in your travels! Contact us directly through the info below:

• Craig Gordon [email protected] 801-231-2170.
• Andrew Nassetta [email protected] 860-460-8142.

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. This forecast was issued on Saturday, February 14th at 0300 and expires 24 hours after it was issued. We'll update this information by 07:00 AM tomorrow