Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center

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 Monday, December 22nd, 2003 at 7:30 A.M

General Conditions:

The storm finally arrived and made a quick exit out to the east, but before it did it left a shot of snow up in the mountains! Currently in Moab it is 29F with calm winds under mostly cloudy skies. At the Geyser Pass Trailhead, the SNOTEL reports 4” of new snow with a temperature of 21.2F. Up on Pre-Laurel Peak the weather station is registering a temperature of 10F with winds during the storm averaging around 10 mph, which means the white stuff didn’t move around that much. The snow stake at the GPTH has a depth of 30” and up in Gold Basin the total snow depth is just above three feet. If your traveling up to the trailhead early this morning, expect your vehicle to make first tracks. The road crew should be up there by late morning.

Mountain Weather:

Today: Snow showers possible until 11 A.M. Chance of measurable precipitation 40%. Mostly cloudy turning to mostly sunny. NNW winds between 7 and 9 mph, gusting to 21. High near 32.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, low near 13. NNW winds between 3-7 mph, gusting to 18.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, high near 36. Light winds out of the SE.

Avalanche Conditions:

Yesterday I was surprised to see that the moderate winds were finding some snow to push around. It left a ½” –1” wind slab in some areas, not very big, but could cause problems in the future. The snow surface on southerly aspects definitely had a sun crust, although in the few places I did find myself on it, I was breaking through. We observed five wet avalanches out there, all of which had a S-SW aspect and started from rocky areas. That cycle has definitely stopped. The good news is that the new snow came in warm and the event ended cold, with light winds, meaning that it could bond well with the old snow surface and that it deposited in a small blanket of powder. With any moderate winds though, expect to see some wind loading on leeward sides of mountains. This all being said, the avalanche danger rating is going to be MODERATE on slopes steeper than 35 degrees and that has new wind deposits at or above tree line. The rest of the areas I am going to rate as LOW.

Nordic and Skate Skiing:

The 4” of new snow will be just enough to make Nordic skiing fun, especially with a track set underneath it. Skate skiers, you know.

Public Announcements:

We still need volunteers and observers! Call us at the office for more info, 259-7155 for more info, or 636-3363 after hours. Get ready for our avalanche awareness courses coming in January. Check the education page for a course near you.

Word of the Day:

Leeward sides: Not knowing this term could make you wonder where the snow would end up during a wind event. There are two areas, the windward and the leeward sides of mountains. The windward side faces where the wind is coming from, the leeward side is the opposite. The wind picks up snow on the windward slopes, also known as “fetch areas”, and deposits them on the leeward side. If the wind is coming from the South, expect Northerly aspects to have wind loading.