UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik on
Thursday morning, February 13, 2025
!! INCREASING AVALANCHE DANGER !!
A WINTER STORM COUPLED WITH OLD SUGARY WEAK SNOW LAYERS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS STARTING FRIDAY LASTING THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
For today, the overall danger rating on the Manti Skyline is MODERATE.
Continue to avoid steep slopes with recent deposits of wind drifted snow especially on north through east facing slopes.
Drifts and slabs may break shallow or deeper into the snowpack.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Avalanche Watch
What
The avalanche danger for the warning area is expected to rise to HIGH overnight and into the weekend.
When
Very dangerous avalanche conditions will develop tonight and last through the weekend. (The Watch is in effect from 6am MST this morning to 6pm MST Saturday.)
Where
For the mountains of Northern and Central Utah and Southeast Idaho including the Wasatch Range...Bear River Range....the Uinta Mountains...and the Manti-Skyline Plateau.
Impacts
Expected heavy snowfall and strong winds will lead to widespread and very dangerous avalanche conditions. Both human triggered and natural avalanches are likely. Stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30 degrees.
Weather and Snow
Current Conditions: Riding conditions still remain mediocre despite getting some new snow this past week. It is quite chunky under the newer snow. Temperatures are still cold but rebounding. Most stations are around 10˚F this morning. It was a bit breezy from the west on Wednesday which drifted snow in a lot of locations. Wind speeds have actually slowed over the last few hours.
Mountain Weather: We'll see increasing clouds today with the chance of snow this afternoon. Wind from the southwest will most likely increase into the moderate speed category. Temperatures should get into the upper teens today. A decent looking storm starts tonight and we should get a good shot of snow in a southwest flow into Friday. The storm continues and switches more northwest lingering into Saturday. When it's done, we should see around a foot of snow, possibly more.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The snowpack contains numerous layers of sugary faceted snow. There are many areas where the wind has formed drifts and slabs on top of this weak snow. These are areas where it is possible to trigger something today.
If the storm delivers like it looks like it could, the danger of triggering something into these Persistent Weak Layers is going to become much more widespread.
I urge you to use caution during and after this storm.
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General Announcements
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.