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, March 6th, 2004 at 7:30 a.m.

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General Conditions:

Yesterday was a great day to be in the mountains, the cloud cover kept the snow cold and there was a small blanket of snowfall. Currently in Moab it is springtime out, with a temperature of 35 degrees and partly cloudy skies. Up at the Geyser Pass Trailhead it is 23 degrees out, there is 52” on the snow stake and 2” of snow fell in the past 48 hours. Gold Basin has well over six feet of snow on the ground! Up on Pre-Laurel Peak it is 3 degrees out and the winds are currently out of the North at 11 mph, gusting to 17. The road is plowed and in great shape up to the Geyser Pass Trailhead and up to the Dark Canyon trailhead. The spur road to the La Sal Pass/South Mountain Area has not been plowed after this last storm meaning you have 2 extra miles to ski in there.

Mountain Weather:

Can anybody say high pressure? This is going to be a good stretch of it, rivaling out mid-January high pressure system. We can be skiing corn snow in a few days with clear, warm weather.

Today: Mostly cloudy with highs 35-45 degrees. Winds will be out of the was at 10-20 mph gusting to 35.

Tonight: Partly cloudy skies will be turning to clear, lows will be around 15-25 degrees. Winds will be out of the Northwest at 10-15 mph, gusting to 35.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the 40’s.

Avalanche Conditions:

The snow pack has had time to settle and most of, if not all of the natural avalanche cycle is history. There are plenty of areas that could be of concern… in the upper elevations we have a large soft slab load on our North-Northeast aspects, and a heavy new load in our lower elevations sitting on top of a snow pack with mature depth hoar. As always, as the sun warms the snow, we have the chance of some wet point releases on our South-West aspects. Look for signs of instabilities as the day progresses, these can be in the form of roller balls, or wet point releases from rock outcroppings. For today I am going to rate the avalanche danger at MODERATE in these locations-remember that MODERATE avalanche danger means human triggered avalanches are POSSIBLE. We have the possibility of some strong winds today as well…will this wind transport snow, or will the snow sublimate into the dry desert air?

Nordic and Skate Skiing:

GET AFTER IT! There is a sweet track set up to Geyser Pass and around to the east side of Mt Mellenthin. The Lasaloppet is just around the corner. Remember to sign up the for the race, its on March 13^th! Extra blue is the call I do believe in the morning, although bring some warmer wax for the afternoon!