Forecast for the Abajos Area Mountains

Eric Trenbeath
Issued by Eric Trenbeath on
Tuesday morning, January 14, 2020
An isolated or MODERATE danger exists on steep, upper elevation slopes that face N-NE-E where strong SW winds have blown and drifted snow on to leeward slopes. It may still be possible to trigger an old, hard wind slab. Suspect areas that have a smooth, rounded look or hollow feel to them. High winds have caused slabs to form down-slope from ridge crests, and special attention should be paid to slopes that have steep convexities or blind break overs. In these same areas, a triggered wind slab may step down into a buried weak layer causing a deeper and more dangerous avalanche. Most other terrain has generally LOW danger.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
Our Backcountry 101 avalanche course has been scheduled for February 15, 16. The cost is $150. The course starts with a 4-hour classroom session the night of the 15th followed by a day in the field. It's a great way to increase your avalanche awareness and backcountry travel skills. Click here to register. A huge thanks to Moab Gear Trader for sponsoring this course. Please visit them for all your winter backcountry needs.
Weather and Snow
As pro observer Dave Garcia up in Moab put it, "the winds are at it again." They blew most of the day yesterday from the WSW in the 20-30 mph range with gusts to 40 before making a shift to the SE around 2:00 a.m. They've been steadily cranking from there and will continue to do so throughout the day with a swing back to the SW. On the bright side, today will be sunny and beautiful with high temps in the upper 20's.
It's been quite a while since we've received any significant snowfall and the surface is tired and worn. Looking ahead, things will be dry for the next few days with our next chance for snow coming late Thursday and into Friday. This storm looks slightly better for us, but it's still not a sure thing. Things look dry again after that.
Snow totals at Buckboard Flat (8924')
Snow totals at Camp Jackson (8858')
Wind, temperature, and humidity on Abajo Peak (11,000')
Recent Avalanches
General Announcements
This forecast is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.