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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon on
Friday morning, April 4, 2025
Thanks for all the cards and letters asking about the health and stability of our problem child... the PWL that's plagued us all season. I'm happy to report, it's all grown up, comfortable in its own skin, and is off to tennis camp for the spring. I don't expect it'll reappear on our avy forecast for the rest of the season.
For today, look for MODERATE avalanche danger in the windzone, especially in high alpine terrain above treeline. Human triggered, wind slab avalanches are POSSIBLE, particularly on steep, leeward slopes facing the north half of the compass. Note to self- as I begin to set my sights on big objectives don't forget... even a small avalanche can knock me off my feet and boss me around, especially in steep, technical, committing terrain.
Mid and lower elevations and most solar aspects offer LOW avalanche danger and human triggered avalanches are UNLIKELY.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
The final report for the Hoyt Peak avalanche accident on March 7th has been published and is available, here.
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Weather and Snow
Nowcast: As storminess churns to our south, high clouds drifting through the Uinta zone overnight delivered a thin coat of white paint across the range. At o'dark thirty, a sliver of April's Pink Moon peaks through thin clouds while temperatures hold steady in the mid teens. East and northeast winds are light, blowing just 5-15 mph along the high peaks.
Forecast: The day starts with clear skies, light winds, and temperatures climbing into the mid 30's. Northeast winds might bump into the 20 mph range as one last gasp of moisture slides through the region late in the day, sparking off a round of snow showers. Skies clear after sunset and overnight low temperatures dip into the 20's.
Futurecast: A warming and drying trend settles in for the weekend into early next week.
Travel and Riding Conditions:
Our main man Ted Scroggin found a clean slate in the Whitney zone Wednesday and reports... "12-14 inches of nice, medium density snow that filled in the old rough surface."
Meanwhile, I redeemed a mailer Groupon for a free Monster Truck test drive and took it for a rip in Upper Weber Canyon. Precision handling for sure... though perhaps slightly faster on the up, then the down :)
Recent Avalanches
No significant avalanche activity to report from yesterday.
Check out all trip reports, avy obs, and general intel from around the state here.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Recent wind slab/storm slab avalanche that ran naturally during the April Fools storm is highlighted with arrows. Even though the avy hazard decreased and isn't nearly as touchy, on Wednesday I watched Jason and Dave doing it right and with class, stepping into this big terrain, while navigating turns safely by avoiding gullies and instead using natural islands of safety like the raised rib they so eloquently slayed :)
Most of our April Fools storm snow issues have settled out nicely, gained strength, and won't be nearly as reactive as they were just 72 hours ago. But, here's the wrinkle in the fabric... recent wind slabs are camouflaged with a few inches of fresh snow, making them hard to detect. This is an easy avalanche dragon to avoid... lose the wind and you lose the problem. Yeah... simply avoid steep leeward slopes that appear fat, rounded, and pillowy in nature. I’m taking that intel and heading to mid and upper elevation, wind sheltered terrain where I know I can avoid the problem and still score an outstanding day of riding to boot!
Additional Information
General Announcements
We are always looking for snow and avalanche observations or just general riding conditions. In the meantime reach out to us with questions, concerns, or if you see anything in your travels! Contact us directly through the info below:
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 Friday, April 4th at 03:00 AM and expires 24 hours after it was issued.
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