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 5th, 2006 at 7:30 am. This advisory will expire in 24 hours.

THE AIARE LEVEL 1 IS CURRENTLY BEING TAUGHT IN THE LA SAL MOUNTAINS WITH 12 STUDENTS. THE LEVEL 2 STILL HAS 4 OPENINGS LEFT. PLEASE CALL (435) 636-3363 FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO SIGN UP.

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.

Hey backcountry users! Click HERE to give us your observations…ANY OBSERVATIONS! Do you know how great it would be to get observations from people that travel to different parts on the mountain range than us?

General Conditions:

We are entering into what appears to be a long and dusty road of high pressure here in the La Sal mountains. Last night was the last chance of any significant precipitation to fall and it missed us to our northern and eastern neighbors. Have no fear…that is why we live in Moab, for the multi-sport diversity with a wardrobe of various outdoor implements.

Yesterday the sun came out for most of the morning and early afternoon before disappearing behind some thin cloud cover. It was enough sun to create a zipper sun-crust on most exposed west and southern slopes and making some challenging turning conditions. Today is supposed to be a bit colder with the passing of the front. Skiing conditions will be good on wind protected northerly and easterly slopes. The skate skiing conditions are wonderful and Nordic Skiing conditions into Gold Basin will be good too.

The road to the Geyser Pass Trailhead has been plowed and is in great shape.

Mountain Weather: (At 10,500’)

Today: Areas of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 22. Blustery, with a north northwest wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to between 10 and 15 mph. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 15. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 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
Geyser Pass Trailhead (9,600’):	30’’/75 cm	0”	19
Geyser Pass	52”/130 cm	n/a	N/a	~
Gold Basin and South Mountain	44”/110cm	0”	N/a
Pre-Laurel Peak Station (11,705’)	N/a	N/a	~	Needs a new battery and a program

Avalanche Conditions: (Link to the International Avalanche Danger Scale here)

Observers reported yesterday that some open slopes at and below tree-line on a west and north aspect was devoid of slabs, contained shallow snow with almost half of the snow pack being depth hoar facets. They thought that there was still not enough of a slab or a load to trigger these slopes with skier pressure. Above tree-line though, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to observe plenty of wind slabs either cross-loaded or in the starting zones of leeward slopes and ridges. The wind affected these slopes and HAS created cohesive plates of snow. A weak snow structure will exist on any Northwest-North-Northeast-East slopes, although there hasn’t been enough weight to naturally create an avalanche on these slopes, maybe a skier could.

The BOTTOM LINE for today will be a avalanche danger of CONSIDERABLE on steep, wind drifted and cross-loaded slopes on NW-N-NE-E aspects above tree-line. Remote triggering an avalanche is a definite possibility…stay away from the deposition zones of avalanche paths. The rest of the range will be MODERATE.

Take a look at a snowpit from our tour on 01/15/06 here.