US Forest
Service Manti-La
Sal National
Forest
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Introduction: Good
Morning this is Dave Medara with the 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. |
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General Conditions: There is lot’s of powder still
to be had in the La Sals right now. The snow has been falling and although we
didn’t get the snow forecasted for last night, we have now climbed up
to around 90% of our normal snowfall. South facing slopes got a bit warm
yesterday so shady slopes will be your best bet for good turns today. A light
touch is still required to keep your skis or snow machine from sinking in to
the rotten faceted snow that resides in the snowpack below our latest fresh
snow. More snow is possible midweek so keep your fingers crossed. The roads to the Geyser Pass Trailhead
has not been plowed, 4WD or chains recommended. Mountain
Weather: (At 10,500’) Today: Areas of snow, mainly
before noon. Partly cloudy, with a high near 23. West northwest wind between
10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of
precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. |
|
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 |
|
31’’ |
trace |
21 |
8” |
|
|
Geyser Pass |
N/a |
n/a |
N/a |
~ |
|
|
43” |
trace |
N/a |
8” |
|
N/a |
N/a |
12 |
Northwesterly @
10-15 mph |
|
Avalanche Conditions: (Link to the
International Avalanche Danger Scale here)
Winds have been well behaved for the last 24 hours and the snow that
fell Friday night was lighter than the dense snow that fell on Wednesday
night. This makes for a good combination in terms of both ski quality and
slab avalanche potential. Minimal avalanche activity has been noted in the La
Sals since this last storm. This is a mixed blessing, as extremely weak
snowpack structures still exist in the old snow. The majority of the
avalanche paths in the La Sals have yet to receive enough of a new snow load to
produce an avalanche and flush out the faceted, rotten snowpack the underlies
all our nice new snow. What this means is that in most areas of the La Sals,
the snowpack sits on a house of cards. We don’t seem to be there yet,
but the likely conclusion to this situation, if we get more snow, is a major
avalanche cycle. If the snow keeps coming in smaller amounts and never
reaches the avalanche threshold, we’ll be walking on eggshells until
late spring.
Currently in the La Sals we have a typical southwestern snowpack,
read: horribly weak. We don’t seem to have received enough snow to
trigger much natural activity, but with a snowpack that looks like this, I
wouldn’t take any chances. There were areas of stout wind slabs noted
above treeline on Friday, before the last snow and cracking and collapsing
have been noted in the snowpack in the last couple of days. These are
indicators that avalanche potential still exists. For this reason we’re
calling the avalanche danger today CONSIDRABLE
on E-NE-NW facing slopes steeper than 35 degrees in the La Sals.
Expect to find a MODERATE
hazard elsewhere in the range. This means that human triggered avalanches are
possible. We will update this message on Monday morning, thanks for checking
in. Take a look at a snowpit from our tour
on 01/15/06 here. |