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 Monday, February 9th, 2004 at 8:15am.

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General Conditions:

The artic chill remains in place as current temperatures hover around 1 at 9,500’ and –7 at 11,700’. Snow depths are settled to the low 40” range down low and near 70” up in Gold Basin. Settled powder is the norm in the sheltered and shady locations, wind hammered in the exposed spots, and some sun crusts on southerly aspects below 11,000’. Winds have been out of the NE at around 7-12mph.

Mountain Weather:

After today’s highs in the teens, and tonight’s below zero temps, tomorrow should start a slight warming trend under mostly sunny skies. Winds today should be out of the N at around 10-15mph, and tomorrow out of the NNW at around 5-10mph. The forecast looks a little bleak for any new snow.

Avalanche Conditions:

Cracking and collapsing have been common place in the backcountry even still. 1-2’ of February snows are sitting on top of the old sugary January surface snows and this is where all of our action is taking place. In lower elevation areas, the all of the old snow was rotted out completely and now is in the form of depth hoar. For now this translates to a period of no new natural avalanches, but a precarious situation for backcountry travelers if they find the sweet spot of the slopes they happen to be on. Remember, watch and listen for clues of collapsing and whoompfing, and keep your slope angles below 35 degrees. With the cold temperatures of late, don’t expect this persistent weak layer to disappear any time soon. The bottom line is an avalanche danger of MODERATE with pockets of CONSIDERABLE on slopes steeper than 35 degrees on all aspects at and above treeline, with extra caution needed for terrain traps and open lower elevation areas.

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