In the wind zone at mid and upper elevations, especially on slopes facing the north half of the compass the avalanche danger remains CONSIDERABLE. While becoming harder to initiate, human triggered avalanches are likely on any slope harboring old snow near the ground. And remember- any slide triggered could have severe consequences.
Lose the old snow... you lose the problem and the avalanche danger drops dramatically.
Last night's southerly winds probably found enough loose snow to blow around and form fresh drifts sensitive to our additional weight. Today you'll want to look for and avoid any fat, rounded piece of snow especially if it sounds hollow like a drum.
Not much has changed on this front. In most locations we doubled our total snowpack since Thanksgiving Day and we finally have some terrain to ride. The bad news... riding and turning options are still very limited and the deepest snow is found on mid and upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass. Unfortunately, that's exactly the type of terrain that harbors weak snow near the ground and that's exactly where we could still trigger an avalanche that breaks deeper and wider than we might expect. The end result is an unmanageable slide that gets quickly out of hand, dragging us through as it a myriad of hidden obstacles like stumps and rocks that will easily ruin your day or end your season.
While I feel like the snowpack is adjusting to the big storm, I'm not sold on just rolling the dice and taking my chances on theory... there's just too many variables. So, I'm playing it safe with conservative terrain choices and by riding slopes that had no old snow prior to the big storm.
Plowing is done on Mirror Lake Highway, but Wolf Creek Pass is still open. However, just 'cause you can see your rig parked near Wolf Creek, doesn't mean the terrain you're choosing to ride is good to go.
Remember- this is the time of year where most of us get tricked thinking there isn't enough snow to avalanche. However, this is also the type of setup when most close calls and accidents occur. If you are getting out and about, be prepared for your own self rescue. Wear and know how to use an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe.
We are very proud to introduce our new website for the 2018-19 winter season. This will provide an easier and cleaner way to view all of the snow and avalanche information that you've come to rely on. We are quite happy with how the new website performs on mobile devices as well. We think you'll find the desktop or laptop experience pleasant as well. We are still tying up some loose ends so bear with us.
Backcountry riders still report collapsing, loud booming whoomphs, and shooting cracks like in Michael J's image above... all signs of unstable snow.
Under mostly cloudy skies, a few light snow showers developed overnight and temperatures remained mild, currently hovering right around freezing. West and southwest winds blow 15-25 mph along the high peaks. Today we can expect high temperatures in the mid and upper 30's with a few inches of snow stacking up. Along the high ridges, west and southwest winds will bump into the 40's before decreasing later this afternoon. An active weather pattern is slated for the remainder of the week
While the big holiday storm delivered over two feet of much needed snow with about 2" of water, overall snow depths are still pretty lean and average close to 20" across the range.
We are working to get the Uinta weather network back online. In the meantime, above is 24 hour data from Trail Lake (9945') and Windy Peak (10,662') winds until 6:00 pm last night.
Images above are prior to the big Thanksgiving storm, giving you a sense of the type of terrain where today's avalanche dragon lives. While the storm turned much of our landscape white, riding and turning options are still limited. Low angle, rock free grassy slopes, meadow skipping, or road rides are gonna be your best bet today.
Wanna avoid avalanche danger today? Of course you do and it's easy. Simply steer clear of any mid or upper elevation slope that has pre-existing, early season snow.
Your exit strategy is to swing around to south facing slopes or lower elevation terrain which had no old snow prior to the big storm and you can ride without the worry of avalanches breaking to weak snow near the ground.
A stronger and colder storm system is expected Thursday into early Friday. An even colder but trending drier storm is on tap for the weekend
The information in this advisory expires 24 hours after the date and time posted, but will be updated by 7:00 AM Thursday November 29th, 2018.
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.
