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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Craig Gordon
Issued by Craig Gordon on
Friday morning, April 12, 2024
The danger rose suggests generally LOW avalanche danger and yes this is the time of year to get after it... but with purpose and intent. Remember... LOW avy danger ain't NO avy danger-
Even though human triggered avalanches are UNLIKELY, as we stretch our wings and consider bigger objectives, let's keep in mind that even a small avalanche can ruin our day if we get knocked off our feet in steep, technical, committing terrain.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
Gear up for next season or snag deals to close out this season while supporting the UAC’s efforts. Your participation directly funds the state's avalanche forecasting, awareness, and education programs. Check out the auction found here!
Sunday, April 14th will be the last of our regularly scheduled daily forecasts
Weather and Snow
Nowcast- Winds blowing 15-25 mph from the south, began pumping warm air into the Uinta zone late yesterday and continue in that spirit at o'dark thirty this morning. And even though skies are clear, overnight low temperatures barely crack into freezing territory with most areas hovering in the low to mid 30's. Yep... the warm before the storm. Snow and travel conditions are a mixed, yet predictable bag. On mid and lower elevation south facing slopes you'll find a developing crop o' corn, ready for harvesting by mid morning. If you're looking for shallow pow it's a rare commodity, but I think a few swaths still exist on high north facing slopes in the alpine.... getting there is gonna be on the rugged side.
Forecast- High pressure deeply entrenched overhead is beginning to shift east. As it slides towards Colorado we'll experience one of the warmest days of the season. Look for mostly sunny skies with temperatures climbing into the upper 40's and low 50's. Southerly winds ramp into the 40's as the day wares on and they're are gonna be annoying near the ridges.
Futurecast- Clouds drift through the area on Saturday and a weak weather system clips the Uintas Sunday, with a better shot at organized storminess for Monday. Not a particularly big snow maker, but a few inches will go a long way to help to cushion the old, hard, snow surfaces. It looks like it's a short-lived stay and we return to our regularly scheduled spring programming by midweek.
Johanna Kelly is a rippin' sledder, an avy forecaster for Snowbird, but more important... an overall amazing person. Here, she displays her afternoon sled prowess near Mirror Lake Highway yesterday afternoon. JK and her partner in life and UAC forecaster extraordinaire, Dave Kelly, shared a field day near Bald Mountain and have a great trip report found HERE.
The Moffit Triplets... east, middle, and west, lookin' mighty... whitey :)
Recent Avalanches
Most likely triggered from damp snow dribbling down from above, Dave and Johanna spotted this recent wet slab in the steep cliffy area of Haystack
No other significant avalanches have been reported over the last few days. Archived avalanche activity and trip reports are listed HERE.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The snowpack is deep, it's homogeneous, it's happy in its own skin, and it's generally bomb dot com. Yeah... avy danger is straight-forward and there's plenty of room to roam on a go-anywhere base.
A couple things to consider as we stretch our wings-
Cornices, like these overhanging monsters on Bald Mountain, are ginormous and may break further back than you might expect or even naturally. As the mercury begins its uphill migration this week, we'll definitely wanna give these huge boxcar pieces of snow a wide berth.
If you're feeling like an ant under a magnifying glass... so is the snowpack. As the surface starts to become damp and mushy, you'll wanna think about moving to a cooler aspect. You know you've overstayed your welcome when the snow turns to wet glop or it's becoming unsupportable.
Additional Information
The Uinta weather station network was upgraded this summer and all that real-time info is found HERE. Simply click on "western Uinta" tab and then "weather stations" tab.
We are always looking for snow and avalanche observations or just general riding conditions. So... if you see something, say something. You can reach me directly at craig@utahavalanchecenter.org or 801-231-2170.
Also, if you're looking for more avy education opportunities for yourself, your crew, or your club please don't hesitate to reach out to me and we'll find a presentation, class, or clinic for ya!
General Announcements
CLICK HERE FOR MORE GENERAL INFO AND FAQ
Issued at 0300 on Friday, April 12th this forecast will be updated by 0700 Saturday, April 13th, 2024.
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.
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