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 Tuesday, December 12th, at 7:30AM. This advisory will expire in 24 hours.

 

CHECK OUT OUR NEW GROOMING EQUIPMENT HERE.  

 

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.

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

 

  

General Conditions:

         Powder in the La Sals!  The storm that tapered off yesterday left 12-15” of fresh up in the mountains.  This new snow fell without much wind, although the Pre-Laurel Weather Station has seen 4 hours of winds from the NNW  @ >15mph this morning that have transported some of this new snow onto the leeward sides of slopes and ridges.  The Grand County Road Department was up yesterday plowing the road and the parking lot, although 4WD is recommended.  The GROOMED Nordic and Skate Ski trails will be up and running after LUNA’s (Lower Utah Nordic Alliance) volunteer groomer training this weekend.  Go out and enjoy the snow!

      If you are venturing out into the back country today…READ ON.  We have some avalanche dragons to discuss. 

 

Mountain Weather: (At 10,500’) –
Today: Partly cloudy, with a high near 32. West southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of snow. Partly cloudy, with a low around 15. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 34. Calm wind becoming west between 5 and 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 16. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Weather Station/ Location

Snow Depth (HS):  in./cm

New Snow (HN) in./cm

7:00 a.m. Temp (F)

Current Observations:  Wind, 48 hour snow

Geyser Pass Trailhead (9,600’): (snotel link)

17”

 

15

Powder

Geyser Pass

~”

 

N/a 

Powder

Gold Basin and South Mountain

90 cm

 37 cm

n/a

POWDER

Pre-Laurel Peak Station (11,705’)

N/a 

N/a 

14.1

17 mph gust 24 from NNW

 

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

 

Anyone that ventures out to the Geyser Pass Trailhead today will notice some in-your-face avalanche activity on four road cuts.  These four avalanches ran on North and West aspects and failed wall-to-wall.  Although these “paths” are small and would not have buried a skier, it gives good insight into what you might expect up higher.  We have buried surface hoar on North aspects, buried near surface facets on West aspects, plenty of whoomphing and cracking from setting up-tracks, and a snow pack structure that could promote remote triggering and/or avalanche failures from undercutting avalanche paths.  This snow pit shows what could be lurking out there.  For today the Avalanche Danger will be CONSIDERABLE on all slopes >35 degrees.  Be weary of areas in the lower elevations as well…don’t get complacent when you start heading towards the barn.