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Monday, December 7th 2009

Moab Avalanche Advisory

Monday, December 7, 2009

Created at 5:10 pm

Forecaster: Dave Medara

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)

Danger Rose Tutorial

Considerable Avalanche Danger in the Mountains of SE Utah at this time. Don't let the allure of fresh powder coax you into any terrain you shouldn't be in.

Click here to see the newly revised North American Avalanche Danger Scale.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Snow has finally begun in SE Utah. Mountain locations are reporting 3 to 7 inches of the white stuff and there is a bunch more in the forecast. Expect improving snow conditions and increasing avalanche danger.

Cross Country skiing is possible on the roads, but no grooming has begun yet. Hopefully this storm will give us the kick start we need to get the groomers out.

The Geyser Pass Road and the La Sal Loop road are unplowed as of 4:00 PM Monday, and it will be some time tomorrow before the plows get up there. With High winds in the forecast, expect challenging driving conditions. 4WD and chains recommended for Tuesday Morning (and a big shovel).

RECENT ACTIVITY

None reported or observed. Expect things to get wild above treeline.

THREAT #1

WHERE

PROBABILITY

SIZE

TREND

Over the next 48 hours.

Click here to see the newly revised North American Avalanche Danger Scale.

3-7 inches of new snow across the region couple with strong SW winds and a very weak underlying snowpack will combine to create a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above treeline on East, Northeast and North facing terrain. The avalanche danger at lower elevations and on sunnier aspects will depend on how much snow coverage was on the ground before this storm. Expect wild variability. Conservative decision making and good route finding will be required in the mountains of SE Utah, not only to avoid avalanches, but to stay clear of ground hazards where there is less avalanche hazard.

The old underlying snowpack, sitting around re-crystalizing since October, is very weak. These Faceted Grains form an unstable base for new slabs of wind drifted snow to form on and quite often create large and sensitive avalanches that can be triggered from great distances. Remember, it is not just the slope you're on but what's above you that can be dangerous.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

National Weather Service Forecast for 10,000 Ft. :

Late Afternoon: Snow. High near 20. Breezy, with a south southwest wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible. Tonight: Snow. Low around 14. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 20 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 10 to 14 inches possible. Tuesday: Snow. High near 14. Wind chill values as low as -10. Windy, with a southwest wind between 20 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible. Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 1. Wind chill values as low as -15. West southwest wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 10. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph. Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a low around 4. Thursday: A 30 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 19.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

LUNA Groomer Training December 12th - Contact Kiersten Peterson at 260-0042 if you are interested in volunteering for the Lower Utah Nordic Alliance grooming team.

Basic Avalanche Awareness Class - Grand County Library, January 12th - 5:30 - 8:00 PM.

LSAC Level One Avalanche Class - 3 days, January 29 - 31 - Call 435-636-3363 to reserve a spot or get more info.

This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.