BOTTOM LINE
Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)
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Danger Rose Tutorial
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Click here to see the newly revised North American Avalanche Danger Scale.
Expect to find CONSIDERABLE avalanche dangers. in the mountains of SE Utah right now including the La Sal and Abajo ranges. Persistent weak layers continue to result in avalanches throughout our region. If you are unable to make an expert snowpack analysis of conditions exactly where you are considering skiing or riding, make a consrevative decision and keep the slope angle below 30 degrees. MODERATE avalanche danger exists on SE-S-W facing slopes where conditions have been crusted over by sunny weather yesterday.
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CURRENT CONDITIONS |
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Yesterday's beautiful sunny weather brought one of the nicest days we've seen in SE Utah so far this year. Word must be out that we have snow in SE Utah this year as there are a lot of folks visiting our mountains. Conditions are good right now on shady side slopes but yesterday's sun and warm temperatures will put a crusty lid on skiing and riding conditions on the sunny side slopes until we get into some more melt/freeze cycles. For now, content yourself with excellent powder skiing and riding. With 51" at our Gold Basin Study Plot, we are maintaining105 - 149% of normal snowpack across the region.
Roads to all Mountain Trailheads are currently open in SE Utah
All 12 miles of the La Sal Nordic Tack have been groomed for classic and cross-country skiing. Enjoy.
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RECENT ACTIVITY |
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Noriegas 3X R2D2 100'x 400' ran last Friday Naturally.
Larger slide on adjacent slope ran during storm last weekend
S. Mountain 100' x 600' R2D2 - SE face around 10000 ft.
Mt. Tomasaki Sw face R3D3 - details are scarce, sounds big.
Cracking and collapsing still be noted in localized areas.
Point is, recent natural avalanche activity has been witnessed. This is the number one indicator of potential avalanche activity. |
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THREAT #1 |
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PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
48 hours.
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Click here to see the newly revised North American Avalanche Danger Scale.
Just as the snowpack starts to get deeper, stronger and more predictable, mother nature throws us a curve ball in the form of a surface hoar layer that was formed during the relatively wind-free high pressure period between our last two snowstorms and was buried by the latter. This layer has resulted in much of the recent activity listed above and is a notoriously long lasting problem. The good news is that the lower angled slopes are providing very nice skiing and riding conditions.
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THREAT #2 |
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PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
24
hours.
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Persistent weak layers in the form of depth hoar and buried faceted grains can be found at 1/3 height in the snowpack and lower. Collapsing and "whoomphing" on these layers is still happening in thinner (less than about 4 feet) snowpack areas indicating that the potential for these deep, persistent weak layers to produce an avalanche still exists. While unlikely to be triggered by the weight of human, an avalanche of this type could release into old snow producing a large slide with severe consequences. Thinner snowpack areas over convexities near treeline are the most likely areas for this kind of event. Unlike the Surface Hoar issue discussed in the above paragraph, this is typical for our mountains in mid-winter.
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THREAT #3 |
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PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
24
hours.
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Winds have come up from the North and there is snow available for transport. Watch areas for pockety areas of wind slab developing on SE through SW facing slopes at mid and upper elevations below ridgelines and cornices.
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MOUNTAIN WEATHER |
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National Weather Service Forecast for 10,000 Ft. :
Presidents' Day:
A 40 percent chance of snow after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28. South southeast wind around 5 mph becoming west northwest.
Tonight:
A 40 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming east.
Tuesday:
A 20 percent chance of snow before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 29. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming east southeast.
Tuesday Night:
Partly cloudy, with a low around 15. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming east southeast.
Wednesday:
A 20 percent chance of snow after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. North northwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night:
A 30 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 17.
Thursday:
A 30 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 32.
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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS |
We would like to thank the hard working volunteers at the Friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. Without their help the center would not meet it's funding or staffing requirements. Thanks all! If you would like more information about donating to the Friends or simply helping out, click here..
This advisory will expire in 48 hours.
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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. |
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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. |
