Prepare for winter recreation with the Utah Avalanche Center

Local avalanche forecasters will host two events

What’s the winter snow forecast? 

“That’s the million dollar question,” said Eric Trenbeath, local avalanche forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center. While Trenbeath doesn’t have a crystal ball, he said with the El Niño weather pattern, we have a “good chance of seeing a wetter than average winter.”

The season has gotten off to a slow start: according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, October’s precipitation was below average in Utah. But in terms of avalanche danger, Trenbeath said, that’s actually a good thing—early season snow, followed by a dry period, can create a weak base layer. Snow that falls consistently will create a deep, strong, and stable snowpack. 

Trenbeath and Dave Garcia, Moab community coordinator and assistant Moab forecaster with the avalanche center, will monitor avalanche conditions in the La Sals and post regular updates to the Utah Avalanche Center website (https://utahavalanchecenter.org/forecast/moab) once there’s enough snow on the ground to do so. Trenbeath is watching for at least 18 inches. 

“Once there’s enough snow to travel, we’ll post daily forecasts,” he said. 

Avalanche Awareness Week in Utah is December 3-9 this year. The week was designated by the Utah Legislature in 2019; each year since then, the Utah Avalanche Center has hosted events like avalanche courses and rescue practices to increase avalanche awareness. In Moab, Trenbeath and Garcia put on a free “Know Before You Go” presentation to introduce people to avalanche safety. 

This year’s presentation is completely revamped, Trenbeath said—if you’ve gone to past events, you’ll get something new out of this one with a new curriculum and more audience participation. The “Know Before You Go” presentation is free, and will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 7 at the MARC. 

The second annual “Winter Kickoff Party,” hosted by the Avalanche Center and Lower Utah Nordic Alliance, will take place on December 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the MARC. Trenbeath called it a “ski wax/pray for snow benefit”; ticket sales support avalanche forecasting and education. There will be live music, ski waxing, and a raffle at the event—the $20 ticket includes two beers and two raffle tickets. Tickets are available through the Utah Avalanche Center’s website. 

The Moab forecasting website will have everything recreators need to get out in the mountains safely this winter, Trenbeath said. In addition to posting daily avalanche forecasts, there will also be Geyser Pass road reports (such as when it was last plowed, or when a plow can be expected), grooming information, and weather conditions. 

“It’s your one stop shop for everything winter recreation in the La Sals,” Trenbeath said.