Moab

The avalanche danger is LOW on all aspects and elevations and generally stable snow conditions exist. Watch for areas of unstable snow on isolated terrain features. Higher consequence terrain increases your risk where even a small slide could carry you through rocks or over a cliff.

Hard snow conditions exist and dangerous "slides for life" are possible. Be mindful of your exposure on steep slopes with firm snow, and consider carrying a tool for self arrest in the high country.

We will be holding a Backcountry 101 course Feb 18, 19. It's a great introduction to understanding avalanche hazard and how to travel through the mountains safely. Go here for details and to register. And a huge thanks to our friends at Moab Gear Trader for their sponsorship of this course!

Road Conditions: The road to Geyser Pass Trailhead is mostly down to the dirt. Some patchy areas of packed snow and ice remain and they are slick. AWD and good tires are recommended.

Grooming: LUNA Matt from Rim Tours groomed all trails on Friday. Follow LUNA (Lower Utah Nordic Alliance) on Instagram @luna_moab

In our travels last week, we came upon several old, but previously unreported avalanches on the NE side of Laurel Ridge. This area is heavily wooded, but is very steep terrain, and it is worth noting the avalanche potential back there.

With high pressure continuing to dominate the region I'm discontinuing daily detailed weather forecasts. Conditions will remain dry and sunny through at least early next week. Long range models are hinting at a pattern change and some possible precipitation for our area starting around the 17th. Use the weather links below for current conditions.

NWS Weather Forecast for the La Sal Mountains

Gold Basin SNOTEL site (10,000')

Storm Totals in Gold Basin

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

Snowpack

During extended periods of high pressure we keep a vigilant eye on the development of loose, sugary, faceted snow forming near the surface. Near surface facets can become the next weak layer in the snowpack when new snow lands on top. This weak, sugary, non-cohesive layer can also produce dry loose snow avalanches. In our travels, local observers and I have found the weakest snow on steep, shady, northerly aspects right around treeline and below. Above treeline, conditions are much more variable ranging from from wind scoured and sun crusted, to boiler plate. Where crusts are thin, the snow is faceting underneath. This makes mapping of this future weak layer tricky. Generally speaking, the more sheltered the area, the more likely the the surface is to be weak and faceted. When new snow finally comes, slope by slope analysis will be required when getting into steep terrain.

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 Talking Mountain Yurts and Moab Gear Trader for their support of this great resource!

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.