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Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains

Andrew Nassetta
Issued by Andrew Nassetta on
Sunday morning, December 8, 2024
Today's avalanche danger is generally LOW and human-triggered avalanches are UNLIKELY. The snowpack is generally 1-2' deep in areas and our greatest hazard remains running into stumps, logs, and rocks beneath us.
The best riding exists in upper elevation terrain on the north half of the compass and on slopes less than 30°.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
Thank you to all who attended the 17th Annual Utah Snow & Avalanche Workshop last night!
Weather and Snow
Nowcast
Southwest winds have ramped up this morning between 20-30 MPH with gusts into the 40's. Upper elevation temperatures hover around 25℉ with wind chill values closer to the single digits.
Forecast
Temperatures remain steady for most of the day with a dip this evening as a cold front rolls into town, and with it, the potential for up to an inch of snow. Westerly winds will continue and back slightly ahead of the incoming cold front.
Futurecast
After a quick pinch of snow, we are back to clear, high, and dry until later in the week when we could see something materialize Thursday heading into the weekend.
Current Conditions
Yesterday on Duchesne Ridge towards the south half of the range, Trevor K shared: "The current snowpack structure may not be poor, but all layers continue to weaken and facet.".
From the Double Hill area on the North Slope, Mr. Ted Scroggin reports: "The access is a bit of a mixed bag with both wheels and tracks used to get out into the Whitney area. There is about 12-16" at the 9,000' elevation and travel off the road is thin...".
Recent Avalanches
The last avalanche activity was reported on Wednesday, November 27th, near Wolf Creek Pass, with a few remotely triggered avalanches breaking near the ground on our persistent weak layer.
All observations from the range can be found, HERE.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Today's avalanche hazard is found in the wind zone in our upper elevation terrain on aspects facing northwest through southeast. The set-up for persistent slab avalanches does exist in these specific, terrain-driven areas. Trevor's photo below shows weak, angular snow grains near the ground that create the fragile foundation of our snowpack structure.
Im looking for and avoiding thin spots on slopes near bushes, rocks, or trees, where I am more susceptible to triggering one of Today's avalanches that are big enough to knock me off my feet or take me for a ride.
General Announcements
Additional Information
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 Sunday, December 8th at 0600 AM 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.