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Forecast for the Abajos Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Wednesday morning, March 4, 2020
The avalanche danger is generally LOW and mostly stable snow conditions exist. Low danger doesn't mean no danger and it may still be possible to trigger an isolated wind drift in steep, upper elevation, wind affected terrain. Even a small avalanche triggered in the wrong area can have devastating consequences. Practice safe travel techniques and keep an eye toward subtle terrain features that may harbor lingering instabilities.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
The UAC's Avy Awareness Auction is currently underway with tons of great gear, jewelry, artwork and experiences available. Visit the auction page here to help support the UAC's spring avalanche awareness and outreach efforts.
A new version of the UAC IOS application is now available on the Apple App Store. This version fixes many of the issues that occur when running IOS 13.
Weather and Snow
Weather: The story is the wind. Though they are light now, NW winds yesterday blew in the 15-20 mph range along the highest ridgetops. By late afternoon they had ramped up into the 25 mph range with gusts into the 40's before finally backing off around midnight. Today look for sunny skies, light southerly winds and high temps in the upper 30's. Dry conditions remain through the week with what looks like a change in the pattern sometime this weekend.
Snowpack: The snowpack in the Abajos is holding up okay with an average depth greater than 4'. To be sure, areas with weak, sugary, faceted snow exist, but in general, the snowpack is mostly supportable. Most surfaces are have suffered the effects of wind and sun, but some soft snow can still be found in sheltered areas.
Snow totals at Buckboard Flat (8924')
Snow totals at Camp Jackson (8858')
Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Low danger doesn't mean no danger and one should always be aware of the potential for avalanches when traveling in snow-covered mountains.
Always be on the lookout for signs of instability such as whoomphing, collapsing, or cracking in the snow surface.
Carry appropriate rescue gear - beacon, probe, and shovel - and know how to use it.
Practice safe travel techniques by only putting one person on a slope at a time.
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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