Introduction: Good
Morning this is Dave Medara with the USFS Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center with
your avalanche and mountain weather advisory.
Today is Tuesday, January 17th, 2006 at 8:00 pm. This advisory will
expire in 24 hours. WE ARE STARTING TO FILL UP OUR AIARE LEVEL 1 AND
LEVEL 2 CLASSES BEING HELD IN THE LA SALS THIS YEAR. THE LEVEL 1 IS FEBRUARY 3RD-5TH
(FRI-SUN), WHILE OUR LEVEL 2 IS MARCH 3RD-6TH (FRI-MON). CALL (435) 636-3363 FOR MORE INFORMATION
AND TO SIGN UP. EACH CLASS IS LIMITED
TO 12 STUDENTS. TUITION GOES TO THE
FRIENDS OF THE MANTI-LA SAL AVALANCHE CENTER. 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. MLAC NEWS: We have started an observer page for
folks to send us their backcountry observations. Report what you see in your
backcountry travels HERE.
Please send us your reports on avalanches, ski conditions, road conditions,
snow pit profiles etc. Thanks! You can also report observations at
435-636-3363. |
General Conditions: 12 inches of new snow now
blankets the La Sal Mountains and we were the big winner in the Utah/W.
Colorado area for snow totals from this last storm. We really needed it and
conditions in the backcountry are on the mend. It would be a stretch to call
things “good” in the La Sals right now however. We still need
another storm to come through before we can say that. Even after this storm we are still behind
the curve, at about 80% of normal snowfall for the season, but we’ll
take it nonetheless. Keep smiling, but expect to find some rotten snow out
there under the fresh stuff that can bog down your skis or act like a trap
door for your snowmachine. Also as several people have found out this weekend
first hand, there is still a lot of ground hazard out there too, so pray for
more snow later this week. We still really need it. Avalanche conditions are
still pretty dicey out there so read on. The road to the Geyser Pass Trailhead
has been plowed and is in great shape for all vehicles. Mountain Weather: (At 10,500’) Today: Partly cloudy, with a high around
33. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Wednesday Night: A 40
percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low near 10. Breezy, with a west
southwest wind between 10 and 20 mph. |
Weather Station/ Location |
Snow Depth (HS): in./cm |
New Snow (HN) in./cm |
6:00 a.m. Temp (F) |
Current Observations:
Wind, 48 hour snow |
24’’ |
11” |
14 |
11”, .7”h20 |
|
Geyser Pass |
N/a |
n/a |
N/a |
12” |
Gold Basin and South Mountain |
35” |
12” |
N/a |
12” |
Pre-Laurel Peak Station
(11,705’) |
N/a |
N/a |
13 |
Northerly@
20-30 mph – Heads Up! |
Avalanche Conditions: (Link to the
International Avalanche Danger Scale here) Today
we can expect to find a lasting hazard due to the new snow we have received
and the current wind situation in the La Sals. LARGE plumes of wind
transported snow are visible from town and on the downwind slopes where this
snow is being deposited; weight is being added to the snowpack at a very high
rate. Snow does not like this. It gets
pretty surly. Technical jargon aside, what this means is that the snowpack is
being brought closer and closer to it’s release point, and the weight of a skier or snowmachine
could tip the balance. On Our tour yesterday, we saw some
sizeable releases on the East and Northeast face of Mt. Tukno and some
smaller stuff low on Noriega’s Face. We also saw cracking, indicating
slab formation, in the snowpack above treeline The reason we did not have
more widespread activity was the relatively calm winds we had during the
storm. That has now changed and the winds are blowing. For this reason expect
the avalanche hazard to remain worthy of respect today. We are calling the
Avalanche Danger CONSIDERABLE with
pockets of HIGH in the La Sal Mountains
on all slopes steeper than 35 degrees. The High avalanche danger would be
more widespread if the North winds were not blowing snow onto south facing
slopes that were bare scree before this storm. High hazard zones will be
areas of wind deposition, cross loading and anything above treeline that did
not slide. There are plenty of safe locations in the La Sals to enjoy the
powder without taking any chances with avalanches. We urge you to make a
conservative, informed decision today. Take a look at a snowpit from our tour
on 01/15/06 here. |