Wasatch Cache and Uinta National Forests

In partnership with: Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center and Utah State Parks.

Avalanche ADVISORY

Good morning. This is Craig Gordon with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your avalanche and mountain weather advisory for the western Uinta Mountains. Today is Saturday, April 10, 2004 and it’s 7:30 a.m. Avalanche advisories for the western Uinta Mountains will be issued through tomorrow, Sunday, April 11^th.

Current conditions:

April showers… bring spring powders. Or so the saying goes. Last nights cold front delivered 4”-8” of new snow along the upper elevations throughout the range and temperatures have crashed as well. Currently, light snow showers are still falling and it’s in the low teens at 10,000’. Winds are out of the east and northeast blowing at speeds of 15-25 mph along the ridges. While the trailheads are discouragingly dry, above 9,000’ the riding and turning conditions have drastically improved in the past 24 hours.

Avalanche Conditions:

Just when you thought it was over, winter decided to come back for one last hurrah, as it usually does when we start to wind things down here at the avalanche center. Strong winds out of the east and northeast, which is an unusual direction for us, howled for most of the night gusting into the low 40’s along the highest peaks. With plenty of light density snow to blow around, I’d suspect new wind drifts will be fairly sensitive to the additional weight of a backcountry traveler today. While most of the new wind slabs will be on the leeward side of upper elevation ridges, be aware that due to the direction and strength of the wind, drifts may have formed in some unusual locations. Steep upper elevation chutes, gullies, sub-ridges, and mid-slope breakovers would be suspect terrain. Remember, these drifts have formed on top of some pretty stout crusts and may run a little faster and farther than you might expect. In addition, they’ll probably pack enough punch to knock you off your skis or machine and a body-bruising ride this late in the season could really ruin your day.

Bottom Line:

The avalanche danger is MODERATE today on all slopes steeper than about 35 degrees with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. In wind-sheltered terrain and on slopes less steep than 35 degrees the avalanche danger is generally LOW.

Mountain Weather:

A moist northeasterly flow will remain over the region today, though it will become more stable and start to dry out as the day progresses. This morning we can expect light snow showers with an additional 2” of snow possible before things start to wind down. It’ll feel like winter out there today with high temperatures at 10,000’ barely reaching into the mid teens and at 8,000’ near 30 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the low teens. Winds will be out of the east and northeast blowing at speeds of 15-25 mph along the ridges and the winds should relax as the day wears on. A mostly dry northerly flow will be over the region on Sunday, providing partly cloudy skies and slightly warmer temperatures.

General Information:

We can always use snow and avalanche information and your snowpack and avalanche observations could help to save someone’s life. If you see or trigger an avalanche give us a call at 801-231-2170 or 1-800-662-4140.

Also, if you’d like to schedule a free avalanche awareness talk and/or field day give us a call at 801-524-5304.

The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

I will update this advisory by 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Apr.11, 2004.

Thanks for calling.