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Forecast for the Abajos Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Saturday morning, January 9, 2021
Human triggered avalanches remain likely on steep, northerly facing slopes that have enough snow to ride or ski and the avalanche danger remains CONSIDERABLE in these areas. With the current snowpack structure consisting of a slab on top of layers of weak, sugary, faceted snow, steep, NW-E facing slopes should be avoided for the foreseeable future. Most south-facing terrain has generally LOW danger.
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Special Announcements
I'm very sorry to report Utah's first avalanche fatality of the season. A 31-year-old man was killed in a backcountry area in the Wasatch Mountains know as Dutch Draw. Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends. Here is the preliminary report.
Weather and Snow
It looks like a great day to clean out the garage. A weak storm system will spread clouds over the area this morning with gradual clearing later today. Winds will be mostly light and northerly. High temps at 10,000' will be near 20F. There are currently no other storms on the horizon and conditions will remain high and dry for at least the upcoming week.
Snow totals at Buckboard Flat (8924')
Snow totals at Camp Jackson (8858')
Snowpack Discussion
The existing snow structure is very poor. Recent and wind drifted snow overly a layer of weak, sugary, faceted snow creating a persistent weak layer problem. In our travels Friday, we observed widespread cracking and collapsing of the snowpack. These are clear red flag signs of instability. Human triggered avalanches remain likely on steep, northerly facing slopes above about 10,000'. Overall coverage remains quite thin and there really isn't enough snow for much off-trail recreation.
This video of an extended column test illustrates the persistent weak layer problem. The slab on top slides off of the layer of sugary, faceted snow underneath.
Additional Information
Information on outdoor recreation - The State of Utah created this webpage with information about recreating on both state and federal public lands during the current health crisis.
New to the backcountry (including riding at closed resorts) - Watch the award-winning, 15 minute Know Before You Go video, or take the 5-part, free online-learning series.
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.
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