Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center

US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest               

Introduction:

Good Morning!  This is Evan Stevens with the USFS Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center with your avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  Today is Saturday, January 3rd, 2004 at 7:30am.

 

General Conditions:

Bring the mittens and get ready for the cold and fresh snow.  Right now it is 20 degrees at the trailhead with close to 40” of settled snow and 7” of new snow.  Up high it is 8 degrees with steady winds out of the NW.  There is about 10” of new snow in Gold Basin.  Things should be exciting out there, so you may want to stick to the trees for the best powder skiing and riding.  The road will not be plowed until Monday morning, so expect the Loop Road and the Geyser Pass Spur to be snowy-chains and 4WD are recommended.  The Snow Water Equivalent at the SNOTEL site is at 129% of normal.

 

Mountain Weather:

The winter storm warning continues for today with another 4-7” of new snow expected.  Temperatures are already beginning to fall, and we have probably hit our highs for the day, as the cold front has passed and the NW winds bring us into the deep freeze.  Lows tonight should be near or below 0 with a chance of snow showers.  Tomorrow should see partly cloudy skies and a slight chance of a snow shower with highs in the upper teens.

 

Avalanche Conditions:

Our region has been seeing quite a lot of action.  North of us on the Plateau things were extremely sensitive and reactive with an Avalanche Warning and a High Danger;  East of us in the San Juans, over 100 new avalanches were reported yesterday and there is an Avalanche Warning with a High danger.  I think it is safe to say that with 7-10” of new snow and more on the way accompanied by strong and steady winds that sensitive wind slabs are out there and that natural and human triggered avalanches are likely.  This puts us at a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger with pockets of HIGH on slopes steeper than 30 degrees on all wind loaded terrain.  This means pockets down at lower elevations as well.  Even before this new snow fell, wind transport was hard at work forming slabs, and now they are getting deeper.  Although our unusually deep snow pack has been showing exceptional strength for this time of year, there are still layers of instability that will be fairly reactive today.  Play it safe, stay out of the run-out zones of larger avalanche paths and stick to the tight trees and lower angled slopes.

 

Nordic and Skate Skiing:

More new snow, so it may be a few days…

 

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.