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 Saturday, March 3rd, 2007, at 7:30 AM. 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:

              14” of snow has fallen at the Geyser Pass Trailhead since last Sunday while 24” of snow has fallen in Gold Basin.  Cold temperatures have kept the powder pristine and today is going to be a blue-sky powder day!   It is going to be cold today and tonight before a dramatic warm-up on Sunday.  Tomorrow the snow is going to start to change due to the sun, go up and enjoy it while the powder lasts!   Reports yesterday were of supportable, creamy turns on westerly aspects while in some of your favorite sheltered North runs…the snow is still a bit punchy and unsupportable in spots.  Better bring the big boards to float. 

              L.U.N.A. was up on Thursday and groomed the entire track.   And the Grand County Road Department did a great job plowing the road. 

 

Mountain Weather: (At 10,500’)

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. North northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 14. North northeast wind between 10 and 15 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 40. North wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. South southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

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)

39”

trace

2.5

Powder: 14” in past 7 days

Geyser Pass

55”

trace

N/a 

~

Gold Basin and South Mountain

55”

trace

n/a

Powder

Pre-Laurel Peak Station (11,705’)

N/a 

N/a 

-3.6

NNE winds at 5 mph, gusts to 18

 

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

Yesterday was another poor day for observing avalanches & today is going to be much better.  What I did see yesterday was a lot of slopes below tree-line that were loaded and no avalanche activity.  This is a scary time in the backcountry.  Mother Nature is not showing her cards and I am not calling her bluff.  The cards we hold are not good enough.  Plenty of snow and strong winds have made for soft slabs on leeward sides of slopes and ridges.  We know that this new load is overlaying a weak mid to lower snow pack.  As a result the BOTTOM LINE for today is going to be an avalanche danger of CONSIDERABLE on any steep slope greater than 35 degrees on NW-N-NE-E-SE slopes.  It would be wise to put a ski cut in before committing to your line and realize that danger is not always at the top.