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 Friday, April 7th at 8:15 a.m. This advisory will expire in 24 hours. 

 

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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.

OBSERVATIONS? Please give us your observations from the field HERE.  The more observations we get, the better this forecast can be. 

 

  

General Conditions:

Get out and enjoy some really incredible winter skiing!  6”-12” of snow fell in this past storm and the snow is your favorite cold smoke variety.   This condition will not last long as the sun is already out and ready to change the conditions.  If you are looking for something to do this weekend besides fight with the crowds down in the desert, it just might be time to get powder while it lasts.  Rain preceded this event to at least 11,000’, making for a very supportable base below this new snow.  The road was plowed and snow covered all the way to the loop road.  4WD is recommended today.  As it warms up, expect the lower half of the dirt road to turn to slop.   Skate and Nordic skiing conditions will be “fresh”.  This weekend will be a great time to get out of Moab proper and enjoy some decent spring skiing! 

 

  Mountain Weather: (At 10,500’) –

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high around 38. Northeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 27. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming east southeast.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low near 30. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 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’): (snotel link)

31.9”/49” 

6”

24 @ 8:00

Powder!

Geyser Pass

~.

12+” 

N/a 

Powder

Gold Basin and South Mountain

72”/180 cm

9”

n/a

Great skiing conditions

Pre-Laurel Peak Station (11,705’)

N/a 

N/a 

15 degrees @ 8:00

Wind anemometer is broken

 

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

 

We are in the blind up in the La Sals currently.  Today will be a good day to go up and get some observations.  Yesterdays observations were obscured by the storm and wind data is unavailable because the anemometer is rimed up.  It appears that the new snow has bonded very well with the old snow surface.  It started off very warm (rain) and the storm left very cold.  We will have to see how the rain crust will effect facet development in the future.  Up in the alpine, winds were definitely strong enough to transport snow, depositing soft wind slabs on leeward sides of slopes and ridges.  The BOTTOM LINE for today will be an avalanche danger of MODERATE on steep slopes greater than 35 degrees on wind loaded slopes.  The winds have died down, the snow has stopped and the sun is out.  Natural avalanche activity will be unlikely today, it is going to stay cold, although human triggered avalanches are still possible.