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 Sunday, February 22nd, 2004 at 8:00 a.m.

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General Conditions:

Good Morning Moab! Currently in town it is 34 degrees out with a few clouds in the sky. Up at the Geyser Pass Trailhead it is 25 degrees out and there is 39 inches of snow on the ground. In Gold Basin there is still over five feet of snow. Up at the Pre-Laurel Peak weather station it is 14 degrees out with the winds out of the SSW gusting to 23. The roads to the trailheads are going to have some fresh snow on them considering that we have picked up over 4 ½ inches of snow at Geyser Pass. You can expect more of that up higher. For riding conditions, the South and Western aspects below tree line will be a dust on crust until we receive more snow and up on those Northerly aspects perhaps some decent powder.

Mountain Weather:

It is snowing up in the mountains currently. The models say that we’ll get some more snow…

Today: Winter Weather Advisory for today until 4 P.M. Periods of snow and areas of fog in the a.m. 2-4” of snow expected. High 25-35 degrees. Winds will be out of the south at 10-15 mph.

Tonight: Cloudy with a 50% chance of additional accumulations. 2” expected. Low 15-25. Wnds will be out of the Southeast at 10-15 mph.

Monday: Mostly cloudy with a 70% chance of snow. 1-3” expected. High near 30. Winds out of the SE at 10-20 mph.

Avalanche Conditions:

The San Juan’s received a bunch of snow so far out of this storm, and observers there report that the new snow is not bonding very well to the old snow surface. Considering that we are their next door neighbors, we can extrapolate onto our mountains as well. Be weary of recently deposited wind loads on North through East aspects and fresh cornices. The weather station says that we have a relative humidity of 100% for the past 24 hours…if this is true, the conditions are ripe for wind transport and cornice development.

For today I am going to rate the avalanche danger at MODERATE on slopes greater than 35 degrees, especially up in the alpine where wind slabs have formed and still are waiting for that human trigger. Expect the avalanche danger to rise throughout the day as we receive more snowfall.

Nordic and Skate Skiing:

GET AFTER IT! The Lasaloppet is just around the corner. Extra blue is the call I do believe.