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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

In the wind zone, at and above treeline, you'll find CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger. Human triggered avalanches are LIKELY on steep wind drifted slopes, especially those facing the north half of the compass and particularly those with an easterly component to their aspect. Any avalanche that breaks into deeper buried weak layers near the ground will result in a deep, dangerous avalanche.

A MODERATE avalanche danger exists on steep, mid elevation, wind drifted slopes and human triggered avalanches are POSSIBLE.

Your exit strategy and ticket for a safer riding alternative exists on low angle, lower elevation, wind sheltered slopes with no steep slopes above or adjacent to where you're riding. In terrain with these characteristics you'll find generally LOW avalanche danger and human triggered avalanches are UNLIKELY.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    4

    The images above illustrate a tale of two snowpacks.

    The top image is a slide triggered yesterday with a good thump on an upper elevation, southerly facing slope which has remained shallow and weak this season. No es bueno.

    The next image shows a deep, strong snowpack that's happy in its own skin.

    So here's the deal- we've got a complicated snowpack structure, but without further investigation or an intimate history of the terrain, it'll all look white to us. The problem is, there's several persistent weaknesses buried deep in the pack and these are a concerning because anything "persistent" in the world of snow is slow to heal. While deep dangerous avalanches are becoming harder to trigger, recent avalanches breaking to the ground suggest all we need to do is find a shallow, weak portion of the snowpack, perhaps around a rock or bush that we can't see underneath the snow, collapse the slope (whoomph), and now we're staring down the barrel of a dangerous avalanche. This type of snow structure is particularly dangerous because we don't even have to be on a steep slope in order to trigger a slide... we just need to be connected to it. And here's the deceiving twist, the range is fat and white and the snowpack is gonna feel really strong and supportable. As a matter of fact, we can ride many slopes without incident and think we're good to go.

    However, the key to a successful day of riding means avoiding bulls-eye terrain where unmanageable avalanche dragons live, and it's pretty straight-forward. The common theme for all the big avalanches we've seen recently have occurred on steep, upper elevation, wind drifted slopes facing the north half of the compass, along with slopes that avalanched earlier this season and have a shallow snowpack.

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2

    After nearly a week of hardly any wind, yesterday was a good reminder of how quickly Uinta winds can change the landscape, ruin vast amounts of soft snow, and whip up fresh drifts sensitive to our additional weight. While today's wind drifts are found mostly along the leeward side of mid and upper elevation ridges, like in the image above, drifts also formed around terrain features like chutes or gullies. In any case, today you'll want to look for and avoid any fat, rounded piece of snow, especially if it sounds hollow like a drum.

Special Announcement

The accident reports for the four avalanche fatalities are all finalized with some first-hand accounts and worth reading. We all have something to learn so that we can get home safely to our loved ones.

Jan 18 Electric Lake Accident (Skyline area)

Jan 25 Laurel Peak Accident (Moab area)

Feb 7 Circleville Mtn Accident (Southwest area near Beaver, UT)

Feb 9 Chalk Creek Accident (Western Uintas)

Many thanks to these fine gentlemen for helping to install our Beacon Basin on the north end of the Nobletts parking lot. While you're in the hood and waiting for your partner or group, you can keep warm and test your avalanche beacon rescue skills at the same time.... your partners will be stoked.

Recent Activity

A piece of cornice releasing naturally, rolled down onto the slope below sometime early Sunday morning, triggering this large slide that broke to weak snow near the ground. Approx 8' deep, 200' wide, and running 800' vertically, this avalanche occurred on a NE aspect at 10,300' at the upper reaches of Mill Fork of Chalk Creek. (Nalli images)

This sled triggered slide in the image above from Saturday was initiated by the sixth rider on the slope. As reported by Clay and his crew.... "Definitely not a Green light in the Uintas!!! To witness a person caught in an avalanche is very disturbing. Fortunately this guy was only buried to his arm pits. Couldn't out run it. Unbelievable how fast it happens. Thank God for the good outcome, very easily could have been digging out a body!!!!"

Recent trip reports and avy activity found HERE.

Snow and Weather

A weak storm sliding through the region is producing cloudy skies, light snow showers, and an inch or two of snow overnight. South and southwest winds bumped into the 20's and 30's about this time Sunday morning, continued ramping up into the 40's and 50's throughout the day, remaining robust this morning, blowing in the 30's along the high peaks. We're finally out of the deep freeze with temperatures warming overnight, currently registering in the mid teens.

Above is hourly data from Trial Lake (9,945') and Windy Peak (10,662'). To view more regional weather stations click here.

JG traveled in lower elevation terrain Friday, posted this beautifully detailed snowpit profile, and offers his take on snow and avy conditions in this trip report here.

Meanwhile Bill and Jason submitted a remarkably detailed ob from their upper elevation travels found here.

Additional Info

The bulk of todays storm bumps to the north, but I think we'll still get in on a little action and a couple inches of snow. Temperatures rise into the upper 20's and southerly winds crank in the 40's and 50's along the high peaks. A break in the action for Tuesday with another weak system sliding through the region Wednesday.

General Announcements

The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Tuesday February 26th, 2019.

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.

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