Avalanche forecast

Uintas

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

On the north half of the compass MODERATE avalanche danger exists at mid and upper elevation, in steep and rocky terrain where human-triggered wet snow avalanches are POSSIBLE. Any wet snow triggered today can step-down and fail into old, faceted snow breaking wider and bigger than we bargained for.

I am still avoiding complex avalanche terrain during the heat of the day, especially if it feels punchy or unsupportable underneath our rigs.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    This is a peculiar setup for us for this time of year and we're in unchartered waters -- Sugar, still-weak, rounding facets from our January dry spell sit buried 1-3' beneath the surface, and have been put to the test this past week by strong sunshine and historically warm temperatures. Each night we keep inching towards a refreeze, but we are yet to have one as temperature continue to tease us, barley dipping into the low 30's F°. Once we can lock up the snowpack, we will be in good shape, but until then I am not keeping my eye off this.

    With this avalanche dragon, there are not a lot of obvious sings of instability, or clues to wet slabs and wet snow avalanches. Here are a few things I am keeping in mind today to avoid getting mixed up with this avalanche problem:

    • Avoid big terrain during the heat of the day, and keep out from and under large avalanche paths and runouts.
    • Watch for the pack to become punchy and unsupportable under your ride, rig or board.
    • And finally, if pinwheels, rollerballs and loose rock start coming down at you from above it is a sure sign the mountain is feeling the heat and it may be time to back off.

    Moist, rounding facets sit below a dense slab on slopes facing north through east above 10,000'. These snow grains are showing signs of turning the corner, but as Brett "Kowboy" Kobernik says, "We can't trust 'em jus yet".

Special Announcement

After a difficult week in February that included four avalanche fatalities, UAC forecasters will host a community debrief to discuss the conditions surrounding these accidents. We will review the weather and snowpack patterns, share observations from the field, and discuss lessons learned. This event will not be live but include time for questions and discussion, with the goal of learning together as a community. Please submit your questions HERE.

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Recent Activity

No new avalanche activity has been reported in the past 24 hours, for recent slides and travel reports from across the range, click below!

View All Avalanches & Observations Here

Snow and Weather

Nowcast - This morning, partly cloudy skies are accompanied by trailhead temperatures in the high 30's F°. Light to moderate winds, blowing from the southwest, average 15 MPH with a few gusts into the 20's. Overall, its another warm one.

Forecast - Not quite as steamy as the past few days, but expect a high of 45F° at 10,000' today accompanied by light winds from the west, around 10-15 MPH.

Futurecast - We carry on in this spirit through the week, 10-15 degrees above average. And if you haven't hung it up yet, there is scuttlebutt of a storm rolling into the range at the end of the month, around the 29th.

Travel Conditions - It is not for the faint of heart out there right now! Price of admission is high, and believe it or not Mill Hollow FR54 off of SR-35 has the best coverage for sled access. For the brave, there is some soft snow out there. For sledders, get on it while its hot, during the heat of the day when the snow is the softest. For human-powered folk, you may get lucky with some supportable, soft turns by playing the timing game earlier in the day. Either way, you can't beat a day when the suns out in the mountains!Looking east towards the High Uintas and Central Mountains, there is plenty of snow up high above 10,000', but below that travel, access and fun-having conditions present some serious challenges and a a lack of coverage.

A due south slope at 10,000' near Duchesne Ridge that is almost completely melted out. Over the next few days I am sure most of our solar slopes up to 10,000' will be melted out. When the freeze-thaw cycles return full swing it will be important to gain serious elevation if your on the hunt for corn.

General Announcements

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] -- 801 203 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 Monday, March 23, at 06:30 and expires 24 hours after it was issued. We'll update this information by about 7:00 AM tomorrow.

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