Moab Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Dave Medara

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

Moderate Hazard of Avalanches in the La Sal Mountains at this time. Hazard primarily limited to above treeline slopes due to limited snow cover. Wind slabs on all aspects in shallow pockets and gullies due to variable high speed winds.

Excellent conditions for Rock Climbing, Biking and other non-snow related activities continue in SE Utah. Conditions not so favorable for skiing at the moment. Snow outlook is not good for this week. On the positive side, we have seen massive La Sal winters start out just like this before...the winter is young.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Good afternoon this is Dave Medara with the La Sal Avalanche Center. It's Friday December 9th at 6 PM. Got out on a tour to Gold Basin and the Tele-Heaven area today. It is not recommended. Snow coverage is insufficient for skiing off of the roads yet. Really. You could mess yourself or your skis up very easily....Skiing and Snowmobiling on the roads are getting packed out so you should be ok there.

We Picked up 5" of new snow last night and have a total of 17.5" in Gold Basin. This puts us at about 64% of normal snowpack for the season.   Our snowpack is shallow and rotten, as usual for this time of year. Click here to check out the fine La Sal Facets we had growing before this last storm: www.avalanche.org/~lsafc/aviphotos/LaSalPhotos08-09/11-08-08,%20Horse%20Creek,%20Craig%20Bigler.jpg

There are only a few inches on the road a 2wd vehicle w/ snow tires should make it. The size of the winter trailhead parking at the Geyser Pass Trailhead has been increased in size this year to allow for more vehicles. Thanks San Juan County.


RECENT ACTIVITY

Class 1 activity in Tukno Ne slide path and in Talking Mountain Cirque


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 72 hours.

Moderate avalanche danger. Shallow pockets on all aspects above treeline. Lots of cracking and collapsing out there today on south and NE aspects that I toured to. The long high pressure grew some weak faceted crystals out there that are now covered by small wind slabs on most above treeline aspects due to variable wind direction and high wind speeds. The joke will be on you if you get caught out there right now because the skiing/riding is definitely not worth it! Lack of snow coverage limits the danger to the high alpine slopes above treeline.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Tonight: Clear, with a low around 10. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph. Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Calm wind becoming west northwest around 5 mph. Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Calm wind. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23. Saturday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Saturday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 22. Sunday: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a high near 28. Sunday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 12. Monday: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 22.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Grooming Program will start on Saturday the 13th (conditions permitting) and The Lower Utah Nordic Alliance (LUNA) is looking for volunteers to help with grooming this winter. Contact Kiersten at 260-0042 if you're interested.

Our yearly AIARE level I avalanche course will be held this year from Friday, January 30th - Sunday February 1st. Proceeds from this class go directly to the Friends of La Sal Avalanche Center and help pay for the forecasting and education services provided by the Center. Please call Dave or Max 435-636-3363 to sign up for the class or get more information.

We will also be teaching some Avalanche Awareness seminars  this winter. The first is scheduled for Monday, January 12th at 6:00 PM. These FREE seminars run about 2 hours and cover avalanche phenomena, basic travel techniques and self-rescue equipment overviews. They are a good opportunity to learn about the hazards of winter travel that winter recreationists face when traveling in the backcountry. Suitable for skiers, hikers, snow machiners, hunters and snowboarders. 


This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done.  This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.


This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.