ARCHIVED Avalanche Forecast for the Uintas Area Mountains Issued by Craig Gordon on Friday morning, March 7, 2025 Heads up.... avy danger is slightly higher on the south half of the range from Trial Lake to Mill Hollow, Currant Creek, and Strawberry - In the wind zone at and above treeline, CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists on leeward slopes facing the north half of the compass where human-triggered, storm snow and wind-drifted avalanches are LIKELY. Remember... any slide triggered in steep, rocky terrain with a weak, shallow snowpack will result in a deep, dangerous avalanche. In addition, significant amounts of storm snow blankets our mountains from tip to tail, offering a slightly more straightforward and predictable avalanche dragon and MODERATE avalanche danger. But don't let your guard down... human triggered avalanches packing a punch are POSSIBLE, especially on sustained, steep slopes. Weather and Snow Nowcast- The gift that keeps giving is starting to wind down, but before leaving the stadium delivered an additional 4" of low density, chin tickling snow overnight. Storm totals are impressive, especially for the south half of the range with nearly two feet of snow, while the North Slope lags in the race with barely half that amount (see detailed storm totals below). As cold air filters into the region, light snow gets squeezed out of mostly cloudy skies and temperatures begin the day in the teens and low 20's... nearly 10 degrees cooler than yesterday at this time. Southwest winds are relatively well behaved, clocking in at just 10-20 mph near the high peaks. Riding and turning conditions are dense and surfy on a go-anywhere base. Forecast- Look for mostly cloudy skies this morning and scattered snow showers which will add a few more thin layers of white paint... I'm thinking an additional inch or two. Skies turn partly cloudy as the day wares on while winds switch to the west and northwest, blowing in the 20's near the high peaks. Temperatures bump into the mid 20's and dip into the teens overnight. Storm totals- Daniels and Strawberry clock in with 18" snow and 2.0" SWE. Upper Currant Creek and Mill Hollow register 17" of snow and I suspect closer to 1.7" H2O. Trial Lake... 15" of snow and 1.5" H2O Chalk Creek delivers 6" snow with .70" SWE Recent Avalanches No significant avalanches reported since February 25th. Avalanche Problem #1 Persistent Weak Layer Location: Near and above treeline, all aspects except S and SE Likelihood: Likely Size: Medium Description: The recent storm is gonna put our weak layers to the test, especially where the snowpack has remained thin and sugary all year, like slopes that have avalanched multiple times. Problem is, everything is gonna look white and uniform and feel super solid under our sled, board, or skis. So, I'm approaching steep, shady slopes with a "guilty until proven otherwise" mindset. I'm keeping it tight and simply avoiding shallower areas of the snowpack like steep, rocky terrain where I'm more likely to trigger an avalanche that breaks deeper and wider than I might expect. In addition, if I decide to step out, I'm gonna make sure the slopes I'm choosing don't have any overhead hazard. Avalanche Problem #2 Wind Drifted Snow Location: Near and above treeline, all aspects except S through E Likelihood: Likely Size: Medium Description: Snow falling out of the sky overnight camouflages yesterdays wind slabs, making them harder to detect. Looking at wind sites from around the range throughout the storm here's what I suspect... drifts formed mostly on the leeward side of ridges in terrain facing the north half of the compass, though I wouldn't be too surprised to find an old drift or two lurking around a terrain feature like a chute or gully wall. In either case, I'm looking for and avoiding fat, rounded pieces of snow, especially if they sound hollow like a drum. My strategy is simple... lose a little elevation and I lose the problem. Avalanche Problem #3 New Snow Location: All aspects and elevations Likelihood: Unlikely to Likely Size: Small to Medium Description There's alot of storm snow and a myriad of old, hard, slick surfaces which provide an efficient surface for avalanches to run on. If the sun comes out for just a few minutes it'll change the equation and the fresh snow will get touchy in a hurry. I suspect sustained steep slopes is where the rubber hits the road and that's exactly the kind of terrain where even a small slide can catch me off-guard and knock me off my feet. 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 Friday, March 7th at 04:00 AM and expires 24 hours after it was issued.