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, February 7th, 2004 at 7:30 am.

 

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:

There is still lots of powder to enjoy on sheltered and shady aspects.  The snow in the sun is settling out and may have a small zipper crust on the surface in places below 11,000’.  Snow depths range from 46” at the trailhead to 70” in Gold Basin.  Currently it is a balmy 18 degrees in the alpine with winds from the SSW at 15-20mph.  At the trailhead it is 15 degrees.  If you are venturing off of the beaten path expect some arduous trailbreaking in the unsettled new snow.  The road was plowed again yesterday.

 

 Mountain Weather:

Another day for hats and sunscreen, expect partly cloudy skies for most of the day with temperatures in the 30 degree range at 9,500’.  Clouds should increase tonight as a storm system passes to our north.  Temperatures should be in the teens tonight with 1-2” of new snow under mostly cloudy skies with snow showers.  Tomorrow snow showers should linger, with little accumulation expected and highs in the 20s and NW winds at 10-20mph. 

 

Avalanche Conditions:

As we move to a period of a few days after our last storm and major loading event, the new snow continues to settle and the avalanche danger continues to subside.  The weaknesses at the January High Pressure snow surface and our new snow are still fairly reactive in the right places.  Many natural slides were witnessed on Thursday and Friday that ran during Tuesday and Wednesday’s storm, most occurring on Northerly aspects at and above treeline.  These ranged from new snow sluffs to soft slabs 100-200’ wide.  Although the time has passed for natural avalanches to occur, the new snow hasn’t settled enough to accept the additional weight of a backcountry traveler.  If you find yourself in slabby, punchy and/or hollow sounding snow, and hear and feel some cracking and collapsing, then it is time to think twice about what terrain you are venturing out onto.  My advice is to watch your slope angles for a few more days. 

 

The bottom line is an avalanche danger of MODERATE with pockets of CONSIDERABLE on wind loaded aspects at and above treeline on slopes steeper than 35 degrees.  Below treeline the danger is limited to terrain that is open enough to avalanche; be extra weary of open terrain below 9,500’ and especially terrain traps.  The January High Pressure really worked a number on these spots and a depth hoar snowpack in these locations will not be able to support the additional weight of a backcountry traveler. 

 

Remember a CONSIDERABLE danger means human triggered avalanches are PROBABLE and natural avalanches are possible.

 

Nordic and Skate Skiing:  The Tag-a-Long snow cat was out and back to Tomasaki hut on Thursday-yesterday a bunch of snowmobiles packed out the road as well.