Avalanche forecast

Abajos

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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 years ago.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

Northwest winds overnight have blown and drifted snow and the avalanche danger is MODERATE on steep slopes that have recent deposits of wind drifted snow. Look for fresh, unstable drifts on the leeward sides of ridge crests and terrain features primarily in upper elevation, wind-exposed terrain. Fresh drifts are recognizable by their smooth rounded appearance and cracking is a sign of instability. Most non-wind affected slopes have generally LOW danger.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Moderate to strong NW winds overnight have blown and drifted the new snow, as well as whatever loose snow was available for transport. Be on the lookout today for fresh, unstable drifts on the leeward sides of ridge crests and terrain features in upper elevation, wind-exposed terrain. Fresh drifts may be up to a foot deep, and they will be sensitive where they are overlying loose, recrystallized snow. Be aware of consequences as even a shallow wind slab could sweep you off your feet and take you for a nasty ride into trees or over rocks and cliffs.

Special Announcement

The UAC's Avy Awareness Auction is currently underway with tons of great gear, jewelry, artwork and experiences available. Visit the auction page here to help support the UAC's spring avalanche awareness and outreach efforts.

A new version of the UAC IOS application is now available on the Apple App Store. This version fixes many of the issues that occur when running IOS 13.

Snow and Weather

The weekend storm delivered a much needed shot of new snow to the mountains. Though only 3" was recorded at Camp Jackson and Buckboard Flat, up to 6" fell up around North Creek Pass. NW winds began to increase yesterday afternoon peaking around midnight with average speeds in the 20 -25 mph range and gusts into the mid 30's. They'll continue to blow today at similar speeds with gusts possibly reaching up into the mid 40's. Skies will be mostly sunny and high temps will be in the lower 20's. Factor in the wind chill and it will feel a bit frigid up there today. Look for more of the same tomorrow with dry conditions and sunny skies for the foreseeable future.

Kevin Dressel was up yesterday and reported that conditions were greatly improved. Read his observation here. He also noticed some sensitivity within the new snow, particularly at upper elevations. With increased winds overnight, expect to find deeper drifts today along upper elevation ridge crests and on the leeward sides of terrain features. These recent wind drifts will be sensitive to the weight of a skier or rider, particularly on north-facing slopes where the underlying snow surface is weak and sugary.

NWS Weather Forecast.

Snow totals at Buckboard Flat (8924')

Snow totals at Camp Jackson (8858')

We are still at more than 100% of normal snowpack for SE Utah!

General Announcements

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.

Regions covered