Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik on
Saturday morning, February 26, 2022
CONDITIONS REMAIN DANGEROUS TODAY! AVALANCHE ACCIDENTS ARE LIKELY TODAY.
The snowpack remains unstable. It is a sunny Saturday with lots of people eager to get some fresh powder after not having any for a long time. KEEP YOUR HEAD ON AND AVOID STEEP SLOPES.
The avalanche danger remains CONSIDERABLE on steep slopes that face west, north and east. Human triggered avalanches breaking 1 to 2 feet deep are likely. Stay out from underneath steep slopes as avalanches can be triggered from a distance right now.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Weather and Snow
Current Conditions
It was another cold day on Friday and last night was the coldest night with most stations at 0˚F or below. The cold temperatures have kept the snow dry and riding conditions remain excellent. The wind has been light from the west.
Mountain Weather
Today will be sunny with temperatures finally warming into the low 20s. Wind will be fairly light from the northwest. It looks like we'll have about a week with no storms and gradually warming temperatures.
Recent Avalanches
At least three snowmobile remotely triggered avalanches occurred on Friday. One was in Ephraim Canyon on a very steep slope just below Scotties. Riders were playing below the slope and triggered it. No one was caught but the avalanche did overrun their tracks piling up 6 to 8 feet of debris:
Another snowmobile remotely triggered slide was on Skyline Drive near trail 3046. This was also triggered from the flats below:
Yet one more VERY large slide was reported from Potters Canyon where snowmobilers were riding low angle trees and came up on a very fresh pile of debris. It is assumed they triggered the slide from a distance.
More natural avalanches keep getting found from during the storm. Below is a slide on east facing Molly's Nipple. Photo, Ryker Pickett:
I found a number of avalanches in Manti Canyon on Friday including this one in Lowry Fork. This is a repeater. It also avalanched in December. The bed surface consists of only a small amount of sugary snow basically on the ground.
Ad
Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
I hope you were able to enjoy getting onto some steep slopes while the avalanche danger was LOW because it's too dangerous to ride steep terrain now. A Persistent Weak Layer of near surface facets formed during Jan and early Feb and is now buried and causing avalanches. It is present on west, north and east facing slopes. We call this type of weak sugary snow a Persistent Weak Layer because it persists for long periods of time. All you can do is avoid being on or underneath steep slopes until this layer has healed up and become stable. It is unknown when that will happen but it's not going to be anytime soon. You cannot outsmart this stuff. Patience is key. Wait until conditions have stabilized before attempting any steep slopes.
Additional Information
SKYLINE AVALANCHES & OBSERVATIONS
CAMERAS & WEATHER STATIONS
INSTAGRAM: SKYLINE_AVALANCHE
FACEBOOK: SKYLINE AVALANCHE
FORECAST EMAIL
PREVIOUS FORECASTS
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.
< Previous forecast
Next forecast >