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 Friday, February 13th, 2004 at 7:45am.

 

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General Conditions:

The cold air is moving out of the area as we have hit our 36 hour high temperature at 6am this morning!  Right now it is 18 degrees at 9,600’ and 7 at 11,700’ with winds howling at 37mph with gusts to 74 from the North.  Snow depths are in the 3.5-5.5 foot range with some great settled powder on the surface in sheltered and shady locations.  Southerly aspects have a bit of a zipper crust, while above treeline spots are sporting some wind affected snow.  The road is plowed and in great shape.

 

Mountain Weather:

Bit of a blah weather pattern.  Now that the cold is on its way out, we will be skirted by some storms tracking well away from our area.  Look for clouds giving way to mostly sunny skies and temps in the 20s today, accompanied by winds at 10-15mph from the NE.  Tonight is more of the same, with lows in the single digits, while tomorrow should see some cute significant others being your valentine in the backcountry with increasing clouds.

 

Avalanche Conditions:

It has been about 5 days since our last storm and collapsing is still common place.  The scary pieces of snow out there are definetly becoming a bit more stubborn, but there are still some places out there that tickly my spine.  Near and above treeline locations in gullies and bowls, and scruffy tree bands near ridge lines on slopes steeper than 35 degrees look like they have slabs in place.  If I was going to search for some big lines, I might take the most wind scoured ones I could find, with escape routes in the rocks.  Remember that our February snows are sitting on top of our January weak facets-an unfavorable combination.  Keep an eye on the latest strong winds for the occasional fresh slab to develop just above treeline and in cross-loaded gullies, but I am not too concerned with new slab development;  the bigger concern is losing your hat!  What this all translates too is an avalanche danger of MODERATE with pockets of CONSIDERABLE on slopes steeper than 35 degrees on loaded aspects at and above treeline, with extra caution needed for terrain traps and open lower elevation areas, below treeline 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.

 

Nordic and Skate Skiing:

With some descent tracks packed in out there it’s a great option.  Snowmobile traffic on the Geyser Pass Road may have made it wide enough to skate.