Forecast for the Abajos Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Monday morning, January 7, 2019
Areas of HIGH danger exist at upper elevations on slopes that face N-NE-E where wind drifted snow has dangerously overloaded the snowpack. The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE today on all other aspects at upper and mid elevations where human triggered avalanches involving a slab of dense, new snow are likely. Backcountry travelers need to have excellent route finding skills and know how to stay off of and out from under steep slopes today. Stick to low angle, sheltered terrain and meadows that aren't threatened from above.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
We will be offering a Backcountry 101 avalanche course on Feb 8, 9. It's a great way to up your avalanche knowledge with both classroom, and hands on field instruction. Click here for more details and to register.
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Weather and Snow
The Abajo Mountains picked up 8"-10" of new snow yesterday accompanied by moderate to strong SW winds. Winds quieted down overnight but are again on the increase. Today, we'll see some lingering clouds and a chance for snow showers. SW winds will blow in the 20-30 mph range along ridge tops and hight temps will be in the low 20's.
I had a look around on Saturday, and though conditions remain thin, they are improving and yesterday's storm helped even more. Most concerning to me in my travels was a layer of loose, weak, sugary faceted snow that has been on the ground since October. This layer exists on northerly aspects above about 9500' and is providing an extremely unstable base.
Snow totals at Buckboard Flat (8924')
Snow totals at Camp Jackson (8858')
Wind, temperature, and humidity on Abajo Peak (11,000')
National Weather Service point forecast.
General Announcements
Your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche observations HERE. You can also call me at 801-647-8896, or send me an email: eric@utahavalanchecenter.org.
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This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.