US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

 Introduction:  Good morning, this is Max Forgensi with the USFS Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center with your avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  Today is Sunday, April 2nd at 9:00 a.m. This advisory will expire in 24 hours.  Don’t forget to spring ahead today!

 

CHECK OUT OUR NEW GROOMING EQUIPMENT!  Check out photos of a large avalanche in Dorry Canyon here.

 

To see past advisories check out the ARCHIVE.  To see current conditions go to our WEATHER PAGE.  To see photos go to the AVIPHOTOS page.

OBSERVATIONS? Please give us your observations from the field HERE.  The more observations we get, the better this forecast can be. 

 

  

General Conditions:

Do not put your skis away yet!  Powder skiing is still a definite possibility up in the La Sal Mountains.  Look for the best conditions on North Facing aspects above 10,000’.  Other aspects are trying to come into their corn skiing glory, although Ol’ Man Winter is still hanging on, and will through this next week up in the mountains.  Where else can you ski powder in the morning and then hit spring climbing/mountain biking/hiking conditions?  This is the season for the true multi-sporter.   Skate skiing and Nordic skiing conditions will depend on how much traffic has been up to Geyser Pass.   This coming Friday we hope to test out all of the grooming equipment, conditions will improve then!

          The road to the trailhead will be snow packed up high and muddy down low.  4WD is recommended, although 2WD today will probably suffice. 

 

  Mountain Weather: (At 10,500’) –

Today: Partly cloudy, with a high near 35. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. South southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 15 and 20 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low near 22. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 15 and 20 mph.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Weather Station/ Location

Snow Depth (HS):  in./cm

New Snow (HN) in./cm

6:00 a.m. Temp (F)

Current Observations:  Wind, 48 hour snow

Geyser Pass Trailhead (9,600’): (snotel link)

46” 

0

24 @ 8:00

Thin clouds

Geyser Pass

85” est.

 

N/a 

Settled Powder

Gold Basin and South Mountain

~

0

n/a

12+” from this weeks storm 

Pre-Laurel Peak Station (11,705’)

N/a 

N/a 

13.5 degrees

Winds are out of the NW @ 13 mph

 

Avalanche Conditions: (Link to the International Avalanche Danger Scale here) –

 

As we expected yesterday, the new snow from this past week is not bonding very well with the old snow surface. Not only is this new snow heavy (1.10” of H20), the high pressure system preceding this system created near-surface and near-crust facets.  Our strength tests (compression tests) yielded no results in this interface 30 cm below the snow surface, but shovel shear tests gleaned easy to moderate results and most importantly Tilt tests yielded very fast Q1 shears.  This stored energy, compounded with a weak structure near this interface can and will produce soft slab and loose avalanches.  This was verified by one of our observers who were able to get this layer to fail while setting an uptrack.  The BOTTOM LINE for today will be an avalanche danger of CONSIDERABLE on steep slopes on North through East aspects above 10,000’.  The rest of the mountain range will have a avalanche danger of MODERATE.  Thanks for checking in!