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. This is your avalanche and mountain weather advisory. Today is Friday, February 25th, 2005 at 7:45 am. This bulletin is sponsored in part by Western Spirit, offering cycling adventures in Moab and beyond, proud sponsors of the Friends of the Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center. This advisory will expire in 24 hours.

To see past advisories check out the ARCHIVE. To see current conditions go to our WEATHER PAGE. To see photos go to the AVIPHOTOS page.

General Conditions:

The weather is slowly clearing out, leaving behind some spotty showers and clouds and some amazing skiing and riding on the northerly aspects. You can find plenty of untracked powder out there at and below treeline, providing some fast and fun conditions. Above treeline, expect a mixed bag of wind effected snow, and on southerly aspects you will be battling a stout sun crust. The road to Geyser Pass is plowed and in good shape, with 4WD always recommended. However, the road to Dark Canyon is in pretty bad shape, unplowed, rutted out and muddy-rough riding with high clearance and 4WD recommended.

Current Conditions: (click location for latest data)

Geyser Pass Trailhead (9,600’): 55” at the stake, it is 18 degrees at the TH at 6:00 am.

Pre-Laurel Peak (11,700’): still trying to fix it!

Gold Basin and South Mountain: 85” to 100” of settled snow on the ground.

Mountain Weather: (At 10,500’)

The low pressure system affecting our weather for the last little while is still trying to cough up some more moisture, but it is mostly in the form of convective clouds building throughout the day with a spotty shower or two. This system should clear out by tomorrow night…the details:

Today: Snow likely after noon. Some thunder is also possible. Partly cloudy, with a high around 33. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: A 40 percent chance of snow. Some thunder is also possible. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 14. East wind around 5 mph becoming south.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of snow. Some thunder is also possible. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. Southwest wind around 5 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Avalanche Conditions:

Great travel conditions in the mountains are providing for some great information gathering-but there is not a lot of obvious information out there to gather. The last few storms did not produce a significant avalanche cycle, telling me that there are a few slopes that are sitting in limbo, waiting for a little more stress to fail. At and above treeline locations are showing a bit of wind loading, but the main concern was the big storm and wind loads from a week or so ago. Those loads were big and fell on to a fairly widespread weak surface snow. However, our warmer temperatures as of late and lack of new significant loads has allowed the snowpack some time to heal, and I believe that these pockets of loaded snow at and above treeline on NE-N-NW aspects will become harder and harder to trigger. Overall the avalanche danger is MODERATE on slopes steeper than 35 degrees, which means human triggered avalanches are possible. However, be leary of the wind loaded pocket of snow at and above treeline on NE-N-NW aspects on slopes steeper than 30 to 35 degrees-these are the places where you could trigger a slide, and the avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE, which means human triggered avalanches are probable. The strong sun at this time of year is also making for an increase wet avalanche danger-be especially cautious on steep south and west facing slopes below treeline as the day heats up. Of interesting note as well, is the widespread and sizeable surface hoar the formed two nights ago. If the winds and sun don’t knock it down and it gets buried it will be a weak layer to watch in the weather to come.

Nordic and Skate Skiing:

There is a classic track set into Gold Basin, new snow so go out and break trail!