Forecast for the Abajos Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Monday morning, December 30, 2019
The avalanche danger is MODERATE today and human triggered avalanches remain possible on steep, wind drifted slopes. A triggered wind slab also has the potential to step down into a buried, persistent weak layer causing a deeper and more dangerous avalanche. You are most likely to encounter a persistent weak layer on shady, northerly facing slopes and in areas of rocky, radical terrain.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Weather and Snow
High clouds are streaming over the area, NW winds are light to moderate, and temps are in the low teens. Today look for partly sunny skies, continued light to moderate NW winds, and high temps in the mid-teens. We'll remain under a dry, northwest flow the next couple days before a series of moist, energetic storm systems begin to affect the region on Wednesday. These will be streaming down from the north so the extent that they will affect us remains to be seen, but we should get some more snow later in the week.
Snow totals at Buckboard Flat (8924')
Snow totals at Camp Jackson (8858')
Wind, temperature, and humidity on Abajo Peak (11,000')
Recent Avalanches
A snowmobiler triggered a large avalanche in the Abajos on Thursday. Details are scant at this time but he apparently took a ride and deployed his airbag. This photo just shows a small portion of the slide which extends to the right and up along the ridge crest for several hundred feet. Note the telltale signs if wind drifted snow above the fracture line.
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.