Moab

Most terrain has generally LOW danger. Small avalanches on isolated terrain features are possible. This time of year small avalanches can take you for a rough and rocky ride given our shallow early-season snowpack.

Conditions remain very thin, and rocks, stumps, and logs lurk below the surface everywhere. Exercise extreme caution getting around.

Geyser Pass Road Conditions: The road has been plowed, but the surface is snowpacked and slick. All wheel drive and good tires are recommended.

Grooming: The Geyser Pass road above the trailhead is now closed to wheeled vehicles. Grooming will begin this weekend.

Friday, January 30 - Saturday, January 31 - Moab Backcountry 101 Class - Our annual local backcountry avalanche class. Click here for information and registration. Moab and Monticello locals can use the discount code MOAB-LOCAL for a 10% discount.

No recent activity has been observed. Click here for the complete avalanche database.

24 Hour Snow: 0" 72 Hour Snow: 0" Season Total Snow: 21" Depth at Gold Basin: 14"

Winds on Pre-Laurel Peak: W 5-10 Temp: 33° F

Weather

It is 33° F this morning under scattered clouds in Gold Basin. High temperatures will reach 37°F, and winds will blow out of the west at 10 MPH with gusts up to 25 MPH. A cold front on a northwest flow is bringing much-needed precipitation and colder temperatures to the mountains of northern Utah and Colorado. Unfortunately, the Moab area will remain high and dry with increasing winds and partly cloudy skies today. Temperatures will remain warm later this week with weekend highs in the low 40s°F at 10,000 feet.

General Conditions

Thin and variable best describe conditions. Sunshine and warm temperatures have taken a toll on solar aspects, and more and more bare ground is being exposed each day. Relentless winds from the northwest have hammered exposed slopes facing west through north, and many of these slopes above the tree line are scoured down to the rocks. Most notable from my travels yesterday were "sandbox" type conditions on west and north faces. I found the snowpack to be completely faceted through on these slopes. The recycled "loud powder" does make for nice turning if you can manage not to hit any rocks. Chris Benson went up around Mount Peale from the south side on Sunday and found firm, spring-like conditions on solar aspects that still hold snow. He did note the presence of underlying weak, faceted snow and some areas with hard, overriding wind slabs, but they are far and few between. Read his observation here.

A look at the Tuk ridgeline shows a wind-ravaged alpine. (Chris Benson photo).

Snowpack and Weather Data

NEW! Gold Basin webcam storm stake

Gold Basin Storm Stake (10,000')

Gold Basin SNOTEL site (10,000')

SNOTEL site near Geyser Pass Winter Trailhead (9600')

Wind Station on Pre-Laurel Peak (11,400')

NWS forecast for the La Sal Mountains.

It's never too early to start thinking about avalanches. Here are a few things to consider doing:

• Learn online. We have over 5 hours of free online learning at the Know Before You Go website
• Check out the upcoming in-person Know Before You Go events HERE
• Sign up for an on-snow class
• Check out the UAC's education progression HERE
• Get your avalanche rescue gear ready for winter. Put fresh batteries in your transceiver and update the firmware. Inspect your shovel and probe. Get your airbag backpack ready by possibly doing a test deployment and updating the firmware if it is an electric version or getting your canister refilled if it's not electronic.

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.