Bollettino valanghe

Uintas

Utah Avalanche Center
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In sintesi

At and above treeline CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists on all slopes, but particularly those facing the north half of the compass. Human triggered avalanches are LIKELY in wind drifted terrain, especially steep, rocky slopes in the wind zone. Any slide you trigger today has the potential to break deep and wide... instantly ruining your day. Look for MODERATE avalanche danger on mid elevation slopes near treeline facing west, southwest, and south, but also on lower elevation shady slopes as well. In either case, dense snow rests on weak, sugary snow and human triggered avalanche are POSSIBLE.

I'm sure you wanna eliminate the variability of avy danger yet still get some great riding... don't ya? Well then, simply steer your snow vehicle towards lower elevation terrain facing the south half of the compass where you'll find LOW avalanche danger and human triggered avalanches are UNLIKELY.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

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    2

    Southeast winds ramped up Monday, but drifting was limited as there wasn't much snow for the winds to work with. But when we look at last weeks wind, man did it blow... and from all directions, penetrating into terrain we usually consider sheltered. A bit worn out and not nearly as sensitive as recent days, none-the-less, old wind drifts rest on a persistent weak layer and will react to our additional weight.

    A good example is this wind slab, intentionally triggered by a couple of skiers this weekend near Wolf Creek Pass (photo - Park and Shirey).

  • Persistent Slabs

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    Probabilità
    Possible
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    4

    The biggest clue to avalanches is of course, avalanches! Problem is... you don't look around the range and see avalanches everywhere. In fact, so much of our recent natural avalanche activity was nearly erased with avalanche paths quickly refilling as last weekends storm raged. So now comes the tricky part... it takes a sharp eye to put together the pattern, size, and scope of our recent avalanche cycle and to get a handle on the characteristics and personality of our current avalanche dragon.

    Remember- the persistent layer of weak, sugary snow formed during the mid December dry spell hasn't gone away. In fact, it's now buried several feet deep and a very strong piece of snow, a slab, rests on top. And while the snowpack isn't nearly as active as just a few days ago when it reached its boiling point, we have to remember, it's still simmering. Sure, all the right ingredients have to blend together to trigger a slide today, but just like Emeril in the kitchen, when it all comes together... Bam!... your goose is cooked and you'll be staring down the barrel of a very dangerous avalanche. (disclaimer... no geese were injured or cooked in the making of this metaphor :)

    Triggering a slab avalanche on the now buried mid-December drought layer remains likely, especially if you collapse (whoomph) a slope near a thin area of snow (like around a buried rock, boulder, or bushes barely covered with a thin facade of snow).

Special Announcement

Recent storms delivered unprecedented avy conditions and Extreme danger for the mountains of Northern Utah. Wondering how we got there and where we're going? Well then... you came to the right place!

Please join Craig Gordon (that's me :) this Thursday, January 25th from 6:00-7:30 for a State of the Snowpack presentation at Alpha Coffee's Big Cottonwood Canyon location- 7260 Racquet Club Dr, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121

Recent Activity

A group of skiers in American Fork Canyon found a large avalanche (image above) possibly triggered by a falling cornice. The snowpack in that area is similar to the Uintas, and this avalanche definitely caught our attention.

Read more Uinta observations and avalanches HERE.

Snow and Weather

Nowcast- Yesterday's little storm looked good on paper, interviewed well, but over-promised and under-delivered just a skiff of snow in most areas... though to be fair, a couple traces did stack up in the usual favored locations. Clouds stream in from the south, temperatures register in the teens and low 20's, and southeast winds blow 20-30 mph near the high peaks. Riding and turning conditions have taken a bit of a hit, though cold, creamy snow is found on wind sheltered, mid and upper elevation shady slopes.

Forecast- Look for mostly cloudy skies with a stray snow shower or two, but most of the energy from today's storm impacts the southern half of the state. Temperatures climb into the low 30's while southerly winds taper into the teens and 20's as the day wares on.

Futurecast- Colder air filters into the range tonight with a better shot of snow... though just an inch or two is expected. A break in the action is slated for Wednesday and early Thursday with a better looking storm materializing Thursday evening into Friday morning

The snowpack grew by leaps and bounds since the big January 13th storm roared into town, delivering collosal amounts of snow and Herculean water content. The Uintas are white with settled snow depths averaging of 3-4 feet and some high elevation snowbelt zones registering just over 5 feet. The image above on a northeast facing slope at 9,800' illustrates our current setup. Soft powder on the surface, a hard/dense layer which is the big January storm snow, resting on several layers of facets that you won't know exist unless you dig into the snow and Snoop (dog) around.

Snow summary from NRCS SNOTEL sites:

Chalk Creek #1 (9,171') - 49" snow depth (10.7" total water)

Trial Lake (9,992') - 57" snow depth (10.7" total water)

Wolf Creek Peak (9,796') - 40" snow depth (8.7" total water)

Currant Creek (7,915') - 29" snow depth (6.6" total water)

Daniels-Strawberry (8,008') - 36" snow depth (8.8" total water)

Strawberry Divide (8,123') - 44" snow depth (11.3" total water)

Additional Info

The Uinta weather station network was upgraded this summer and all that real-time info is found HERE. Simply click on "western Uinta" tab and then "weather stations" tab.

We are always looking for snow and avalanche observations or just general riding conditions. So... if you see something, say something. You can reach me directly at [email protected] or 801-231-2170.

Also, if you're looking for more avy education opportunities for yourself, your crew, or your club please don't hesitate to reach out to me and we'll find a presentation, class, or clinic for ya!

General Announcements

CLICK HERE FOR MORE GENERAL INFO AND FAQ

Issued at 0400 on Tuesday, January 23rd this forecast will be updated by 0700 Wednesday, January 24th, 2024.

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.

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