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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon on
Tuesday morning, January 7, 2025
Look for CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger on steep, mid and upper-elevation slopes facing northwest through north through southeast. Human-triggered avalanches are LIKELY and once initiated, may produce a slide breaking 2'-4' deep and hundreds of feet wide. Note to self... while becoming more the exception than the rule, avalanches can still be triggered remotely, or from a distance.
So here's my exit strategy.... I'm finding quality riding, soft creamy snow, and MODERATE avalanche danger on the south half of the compass where my greatest risk is triggering a small, yet quite manageable wind-drift.
Or if I really wanna stick to my guns and be a snowcial conservative, I'll simply head to low elevation southerlies or what we call solars, where the avy hazard is generally LOW.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
Please join Craig Gordon, that's me, Thursday night from 6-8PM at Mammut HQ for a state of the snowpack prezo. It's gonna be educational... it's bound to be informative.... and sources on the street tell me it might even be entertaining :)
Here's the deets-
Weather and Snow
Nowcast -
Monday's damp weather delivered a trace or perhaps even a few traces of new snow, blanketing the high country with a thin coat of white paint. At o'dark thirty, high clouds drift into the region from the northeast as yesterday's storminess drifts to the four corners area. Temperatures register in the single digits and low teens, whilst northeast winds blow 10-20 mph near the high peaks. Excellent riding and turning conditions are found in wind sheltered, shady terrain
Forecast- After a morning flurry or two, look for clearing skies with temperatures climbing into the mid 20's. The bad news... dang... the winds! Main bump in the road today are winds, which switch from north-northeast this morning to more east-northeast by this afternoon. Strongest winds blow into the 30's and come right around supper time.
Futurecast- A break in the action on Wednesday and then another, yet even stronger northeast wind event slated for Thursday.
Recent Avalanches
No significant avalanche activity to report for the past few day's, but I was in Upper Weber Canyon Sunday and managed to sneak in some product testing while tending to less glamorous and more pedestrian chores along the way. Meanwhile... back to the snow... knowing the history of the pack is confirmed by digging around and taking a peek under the hood, showing strong snow on top of weak snow and reveals faceted weak layers on the polars. Seeing and feeling the structure, I kept things tight because I know that weak layers in the lower and midportion of the snowpack are guilty until proven otherwise and aren't healing anytime soon.
All Uinta obs and trip reports can be found here.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
As we see fewer recent avalanches and less obvious signs of instability (cracking, collapsing, or whumphing sounds), it may seem like the weak layer is strengthening, but there is still a likely chance of triggering a large avalanche. Pull out your shovel or dig a trench with your track to reveal a dense slab atop the sugary facets, or ya know... some junk in the trunk.
How am I managing this avalanche problem? Easy... I am avoiding it. I don't wanna pull on the dogs tail since I know its bite will deliver avalanches with the potential to be big, scary, and they'll pack a punch that can ruin my day and those waiting for me at home. So... I'm steering clear of avalanche terrain on the north half of the compass, I'm changing aspects, and heading for the sunny slopes where creamy pow meets warm sunshine and delivers quality riding and less risk of triggering an unmanageably large avalanche. Hmm... seems like a good business model... I'll take it!
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Recent wind drifts are found in steep, mid and upper-elevation, leeward terrain where consistent westerly winds have whipped up a slab. In many places, wind slabs are stubborn to the additional weight of a rider, and may allow you to get well out onto the slope before breaking above you. You can identify and avoid these drifts by looking for rounded, hard pillows of snow that sound hollow like a drum. Don't forget, today's wind slabs can get out of hand quickly if they step-down into faceted weak layers that are now buried several feet deep in the snowpack.
Additional Information
We are deeply saddened to confirm two avalanche fatalities. The first involved a 38 year old man in Main Porter Fork of Mill Creek Canyon who went missing on Saturday. The second avalanche fatality occurred Tuesday and involved a 54 year old man off Davenport Hill into Silver Fork of BCC. Both individuals were traveling alone in the backcountry. Please know, our hearts are heavy for the family and friends of these riders.
Many thanks to those who responded to these accidents: search and rescue teams from AirMed, LifeFlight, Utah Dept Public Safety, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake County Search and Rescue, Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, Alta Ski Area, and members of the Utah Avalanche Center.
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 Tuesday, January 7th at 04:00AM 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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