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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Heads up... avy danger ramped up overnight-

In mid and upper elevation terrain, especially in the wind zone at and above treeline, MODERATE avalanche danger exists on wind drifted slopes. Human triggered avalanches are POSSIBLE on steep, leeward slopes facing the north half of the compass, particularly those with an easterly component to its aspect. And remember.... any slide triggered may break deeper and wider than you might expect.

Good riding with more predictable avalanche danger is found with some loss of elevation. Wind sheltered mid and low elevation terrain offers generally LOW avalanche danger.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    It's been a stormy week and we've been slowly stacking up small increments of snow.... a couple inches here.... 4"-6" there... and all is good until the wind starts to blow. Yep, it's been a good run. But overnight, the landscape changed as winds ramped up and there's no shortage of snow available to blow around and form drifts that'll react to our additional weight. So, it's time to recalibrate. As today's winds continue blowing along the high ridges, I expect wind drifts become stiffer, and by days end, begin breaking deeper and wider than we might expect. So, the key to riding safely today is... be flexible with your travels plans and adjust objectives if you're starting to see or feel obvious clues to unstable snow like shooting cracks, sudden collapses, or the biggest clue to avalanches and of course, that's avalanches!

Additional Info

Skiing and riding at closed ski resorts - Some resorts allow access now, and some do not. Please check HERE for the latest info on ski area access.

New to the backcountry (including riding at closed resorts) - Watch the award-winning, 15 minute Know Before You Go video, or take the 5-part, free online-learning series.

General Announcements

The information in this forecast expires in 24 hours, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Wednesday Apr. 1st.

This forecast is updated daily by 7:00 AM.

In the mean-time, if you see or trigger an avalanche or just wanna let me know what you're seeing you can reach me directly at 801-231-2170

The information in this forecast is from the US Forest Service which is solely responsible for its content.

Special Announcement

If you rely on the UAC forecasts each day you get out, consider making a donation during our Spring Awareness Campaign to help us continue providing the avalanche forecasts and education you rely on. The UAC encourages everyone to follow direction from federal, state, city and county officials. The following is from Joe Dougherty, spokesman for the Utah Division of Emergency Management:

Though outdoor recreation is still permitted under the governor’s Stay Safe/Stay Home directive, we recommend that people maintain a distance of at least 6 feet.

Be extra cautious to avoid injuries outdoors. We are working with our hospital systems to conserve as much personal protective equipment as possible in case of hospitalizations.

Most outdoor injuries can be prevented. Know the conditions and know your limits so you don’t end up in a hospital.

Recent Activity

A tale of two different avalanche problems-

Michael J was out and about over the weekend and steered towards wind sheltered terrain where he found great riding and manageable avy hazard. As a matter of fact, with most of our weekend storm snow falling straight out of the sky, loose snow sluffing is generally the flavor of the day in terrain with these characteristics.

But add a little wind and you've got a much different avalanche on your hands. Big enough to boss you around, slam you into the group of trees below and ruin your day, the slide in the image above was triggered Friday on a steep wind drifted slope near Hoyt Peak.

To view additional trip reports and recent avalanche activity, simply click here.

Snow and Weather

Currently-

Under mostly cloudy skies, a band of light snow showers slide to the north of our zone as I type, and current temperatures register in the low to mid 20's. The spoiler to recent windless days is the obvious... the winds! Southwest winds increased yesterday afternoon, bumping into the 20's and 30's, and ramped up even further early this morning, now registering 30-50 mph along the high peaks. Late March riding and turning conditions are about as good as they get, especially on mid elevation, wind sheltered slopes.

More Uinta weather network info is found here. Simply click on the Western Uinta tab.

For today-

Expect cloudy skies with occasional snow showers and high temperatures climbing into the low to mid 30's. Southwest winds are gonna be a nuisance, blowing in the 30's and 40's with gusts in the 50's along the high peaks.

Futurecast-

Unsettled weather moves through the region tomorrow with a cold, albeit slightly moisture starved cold front. None-the-less, I think we'll squeeze out a couple inches of snow throughout the day. A break for Thursday and Friday with another shot of storminess on slated for the weekend.

Regions covered