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 Friday, January 23rd, 2004 at 7:30am.

February 7^th through 9^th is our Level 1 avalanche course. Call 259-7155 to register.

Click here for recent photos. Click here for Snowpits. You can always email us observations as well by clicking here, or sending a message to [email protected] or [email protected] .

General Conditions:

A flat ridge over the Western U.S. will bring us dry air through Saturday morning and a change should occur Saturday afternoon as the ridge breaks down and a cold front comes through the region. The good news is we have a decent chance of snow.

Currently it is 14F in town and 22F up at the Geyser Pass Trailhead. The SNOTEL stake is measuring 31.1”. Up on Pre-Laurel Peak it is 21 degrees with an RH of 45% and winds out of the North averaging around 9 mph.

Mountain Weather:

Today: Partly Cloudy. High 35-45.

Tonight: Partly Cloudy. Low 10-20.

Saturday: Mostly Cloudy. Highs in the 30’s. Southwest winds are expected in the afternoon at 10-15 mph.

When our current winds from the North change to a Southwesterly direction the winds are backing. When winds change direction in a counterclockwise direction, this is generally a sign of worsening weather. Lets keep our fingers crossed! When the winds change in a clockwise direction, it usually means that weather is improving. Wind direction change in the clockwise direction is called veering.

Avalanche Conditions:

Until we get any new snow the avalanche danger will remain at mostly LOW, with the isolated pocket of MODERATE danger on slopes steeper than 35 degrees at or above tree line on wind loaded aspects. Have you read that first line for the past few days? It is going to change within the next 48 hours. I traveled to the lower elevations yesterday (below 9,600’) and found some interesting surface conditions and layers. On sunny aspects, I found a condition that I believe is radiation recrystallization, a phenomena in which facets grow by the effects of warming and cooling by solar radiation. There is a crust below this facet growth, so in the recipe for a slab avalanche we currently have a bed surface and a weak layer, all we need now is a slab to form on top. On shady Northerly aspects, I found the snow pack weakening as well, depth hoar is developing. Say goodbye to our amazingly strong early season snow pack and hello to a more seasonal continental snow pack.

Nordic and Skate Skiing:

The Tag-a-Long snow cat has groomed up to the Beaver Lake Hut and the Tomasaki Hut so there is some great Nordic and skate skiing out there right now.