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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Andrew Nassetta
Issued by Andrew Nassetta on
Monday morning, January 27, 2025
MODERATE avalanche danger exists on upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass where it is POSSIBLE for us to trigger a stiff wind-drift. Although UNLIKELY, any avlanche triggered could fail deeper into old, sugary facets buried 1-3’ deep and break out wider than we might expect.
All other aspects and elevations offer LOW avalanche danger. Riding conditions are fantastic on many aspects in protected terrain on low angle slopes where you wont feel old wind-board or tracks beneath.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
  • Urgent battery replacement required for anyone who received batteries from one of our participating "Batteries for Beacons" shops. Please review the "Batteries for Beacons" replacement notice on our blog. Batteries distributed through our "Batteries for Beacons" program this year have shown to be inadequate length.
  • Please join the UAC at Deer Valley on January 30th for the 2nd Annual Blizzard Ball Gala. The night will be full of fun including delicious cuisine, live music, an auction, and presentation by Bruce Tremper. More info found here.
Weather and Snow
Nowcast
A beautiful start to the week with stars shining and skies clear as of 0500 AM. Temepratures were cool, around 15℉ on top of our high peaks, while winds remained light overnight from the southeast, averaging 10MPH.
Forecast
For today, skies remain clear with mild temperatures and highs in the upper 20's. Expect light winds from the northeast around 5-15 MPH, but generally a stunning day.
Futurecast
It's a great week to get out in the high-country as high-pressure, sunshine and mild temps accompany us through the work week as we await our next pinch of moisture towards the weekend. We shouldn't get excited yet, but weather looks active for the beginning of February.
Recent Avalanches
Cruising towards the south half of the range, I saw this small surface instability within the new and wind-drifted snow and was most likely triggered by a plow operator overnight. Check out this avalanche, more obs and trip reports from across the range and beyond, here!
A wind-drifted road cut that produced a small slide off HW40 -- Not big enough to bury you, but seeing avalanches on our commute is a sure sign there will be avalanche hazard as we climb higher in the mountains.
Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Recent winds coupled with a few inches of fresh snow to transport have created stiff, wind drifts on upper elevation leeward slopes and ridgelines. Winds have been tame for the past 24hrs, but it is still possible for us to find a lingering drift reactive to our additional weight as a rider.
With proper terrain choices and travel techniques today's drifts are mostly manageable and straight-forward. Choose clean slope run outs without cliffs, rocks, or terrain traps around you, and travel mindfully by exposing only one person at a time to the potential hazard. Remember, even a small slide can knock you off your feet and rough you up in consequential terrain. Above is a north facing, mid-elevations slope that was heavily wind loaded and had a stiff wind drift form on top of it. These hard slabs allow you to make a few turns, or put in a slope pull or two before triggering them.
Avalanche Problem #2
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Persistent weak layer, it's in the name. Although we have seen no recent avalanche activity on this weak layer, and our stability tests and pit results are trending in the right direction there is still a low likelihood of finding a pocket that could break into old snow – that means there is a chance.The tricky part is as the likelihood of triggering has gone down significantly over time, the consequences remain severe if we do.
What's my strategy and game plan? I am keeping it straight forward and avoiding steep, rocky, mid and upper elevation terrain on the north half of the compass, especially where the pack is slightly thinner. And remember thin spots are potential trigger points and exist near bushes, rocks, or steep rollovers.
Weak, sugary, faceted snow that is a poor foundation in many places on the north half of the compass. Thanks Kate W for the beautiful photo!
General Announcements
The Uinta weather station network was upgraded this summer and all that real-time info is found here. Simply click on the "Western Uinta" tab and then the "Weather Stations" tab to find all your weather needs.
We are always looking for snow and avalanche observations or just general riding conditions. So... if you see something, say something. You can reach our team directly by contacting: Craig at craig@utahavalanchecenter.org, 801-231-2170, or Andrew at andy@utahavalanchecenter.org, or 860-460-8142.
General Information
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. This forecast was issued on Monday, January 27th at 05:00AM and expires 24 hours after it was issued. We will update the forecast by 0700 AM tomorrow. But, in the meantime reach out to us with questions, or if you see anything in your travels.
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