US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

Introduction: Good morning, this is Dave Medara with the USFS Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center with your avalanche and mountain weather advisory. Today is Saturday, March 11th at 8:30 am. 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.

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:

WOW! Well, we’ve more than doubled our snowpack in the La Sal and Abajo Mountains with about 37” of new snow so far and 2.8 inches of water from this series of storms since march 7^th. Conditions are a little “upside down” for skiing in the mountains meaning that some higher density snow has fallen on lighter snow. This would be due to the high winds we had the night before last. Winds overnight have been lighter and the snow a bit lighter as well so this should make for some great skiing conditions. Expect DEEP snow and tough trail breaking conditions. It will not be a good day to get your snowmachine stuck, or your car for that matter. Even though the Grand County road crew plowed the road yesterday, reports were that the road conditions were getting sporty in the afternoon yesterday due to wind transport. Expect it to be worse today, 4WD recommended. Forget about skate skiing until further notice! 14 – 28 more inches of snow are forecast for the weekend so read or listen on for your avalanche conditions!

Mountain Weather: (At 10,500’)

Today: Occasional snow with areas of blowing snow. High near 9. Wind chill values between -10 and -15. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.
Tonight: Periods of snow with areas of blowing snow. Low around 4. Wind chill values between -10 and -15. Breezy, with a south southwest wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
Sunday: Periods of snow with areas of blowing snow, mainly before 5pm. High near 11. Wind chill values between -10 and -15. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 20 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.
Sunday Night: Snow likely, mainly before 5am. Cloudy, with a low near -1. Wind chill values between -15 and -25. Breezy, with a west wind between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 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
Geyser Pass Trailhead (9,600’): (snotel link)	53”	0	14	deep
Geyser Pass	195 cm	0	N/a	Deepest place these days
Gold Basin and South Mountain	73”/185	0	n/a	deeper
Pre-Laurel Peak Station (11,705’)	N/a	N/a	1 cold!	8:00 am-Southerly @ 15-30 mph

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

Avalanche Warning in Effect for the Mountains of Southern Utah through Sunday, March 12, 2006

Incredible snow totals from this storm and more on the way. And guess what folks, since it’s the La Sals this heaping helping of new snow gets served up with extra high winds at no extra charge. The winds have actually calmed down since 2 days ago into the 15-30 mile hourly average range which is the bulls-eye critical range for slab avalanche formation. A NASTY rain crust buried 2-5 inches beneath the snow surface before the storm started is a major cause for concern. The provides a slick bed surface for avalanches to start on and the loose granular snow grains that tend to form above and below these (relatively) warm ice layers break down the bonds within the snowpack. Combine that with 2.8 inches of new water weight on the snowpack and you’ve got a spicy southwestern mix of prime avalanche conditions. We are calling the avalanche danger HIGH in the La Sal and Abajo mountains on all slopes steeper than 30 degrees. Stay out of avalanche paths and run out zones! Have fun! Be safe! Heads up! NO KIDDING! Thanks for checking in. We’ll update tomorrow morning.

We need your observations! Call 435-636-3363 or use the link near the top of the page to get to the observers page! Yes, DO IT!

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