UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Forecast for the Abajos Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Saturday morning, March 23, 2019
The avalanche danger is MODERATE and human triggered avalanches involving new and wind drifted snow are possible. Steep, upper elevation, wind drifted slopes that face NW-N-SE are where you are most likely to encounter a problem. The new snow will also be very susceptible to daytime heating if the sun comes out for any length of time today. Look for signs of wet instability on sun exposed slopes such as roller balls and pinwheels, and get off of steep slopes if they become wet and sloppy. There also remains an isolated, or MODERATE danger for triggering a deep avalanche, failing on a buried persistent weak layer. Though the likelihood of triggering this type of avalanche has lessened, the consequences have not, and this type of avalanche is un-survivable. The problem exists primarily on steep slopes facing NW-N-E, but in some cases, it may be found on all aspects of the compass, particularly at upper elevations.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
A big shout out to the sledders in San Juan County who are attending the Motorized Backcountry 101 Course. After sitting through a three hour classroom session, we're looking forward to a great day out in the field!
Weather and Snow
Another good shot of snow for the Abajo Mountains! 12" -14" of snow at 1.5" of water weight fell across the range Thursday night into Friday. SW winds yesterday blew in the 15-20 mph range with gusts to to 30 along ridge tops before tapering off and shifting to the NW in the afternoon. Unfortunately all of our wind stations are down this morning, but region wide winds are averaging 10-15 mph from the WNW, with gusts into the 20's. 10, 000' temps are in the mid 20's. Today look for partly sunny skies, high temps at 10,000' in the mid 30's, and light to moderate NW winds shifting back to the SW by afternoon.
Kevin Dressel was up yesterday and reported excellent powder conditions on slopes that hadn't been affected by the sun. Read his observation here.
The snowpack in the Abajos is very deep. Snow depths near 10,000 feet range from 7 feet to 11 feet.

Snotel totals at Buckboard Flat (8924')
Snotel totals at Camp Jackson (8858')
Wind, temperature, and humidity on Abajo Peak (11,000')
National Weather Service point forecast.
Additional Information
Carry appropriate rescue gear: beacon, probe, shovel, and choose where you ride based on the avalanche forecast for the day!
General Announcements
Your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche observations HERE. You can also call me at 801-647-8896, or send me an email: eric@utahavalanchecenter.org.
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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.