BOTTOM LINE

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

Danger Rose Tutorial

Spring conditions. You won't find much decent powder skiing here in SE Utah. Avalanche Danger rising to MODERATE on sunny aspects and all aspects at low elevations with daytime heating. VERY GOOD corn skiing in the La Sal and Abajo Mountains right now, but limited to SE-S-W facing slopes.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Great Corn skiing on sunny side aspects over the weekend. SE facing slopes ready around 12 noon depending on wind and cloud cover, perhaps a bit earlier with warmer temps than this weekend. . North facing and shady side terrain not in very good condition. Crust is breaking down on the shady aspects but it's still there and it's mucking up the turns on E-NE-NW facing terrain. Spring skiing conditions in the sun are what is happening right now, and today might be the last day for that as we move into some cloudier weather with a chance of snow.

Roads to Geyser Pass and Dark Canyon Trailheads are in good shape. Slick in places on Geyser Pass road.

Full nordic track is groomed for classic and skate skiing. Thank you.

RECENT ACTIVITY

Nothing recent.

THREAT #1

WHERE

PROBABILITY

SIZE

TREND

Over the next 48 hours.

Link to the U.S. Avalanche danger scale here: utahavalanchecenter.org/education/dangerscale

We are calling the avalanche danger in the La Sal Mountains LOW while crusts are still frozen, Rising to MODERATE with daytime warming and the thawing of surface crusts. With calm winds and temps in the high 40's today, we can expect the warm-up to be substantial. Don't let the temptation of another awesome corn run keep you out on the sunny side slopes too long. Our snowpack here in SE Utah is highly layered and still shows some weaknesses. Be particularly suspect of areas that it did not freeze overnight.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Mountain Weather for SE Utah at 10,000 ft:

Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Southwest wind between 5 and 15 mph. Tuesday: A slight chance of snow before 11am, then a slight chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Wednesday: A slight chance of snow before 11am, then a slight chance of rain and snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to between 20 and 25 mph. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy and windy, with a low around 24. Thursday: A 30 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

We'll update this forecast by Friday morning, sooner if conditions change.

The Lower Utah Nordic Alliance (LUNA)....

INVITES YOU TO ENJOY OUR NORDIC TRACK

MARCH 7, 2009

10:00 AM

GEYSER PASS TRAILHEAD

BRING YOUR SKIS OR SNOWSHOES FOR EASY, INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED ROUTES

REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED

QUESTIONS? 435-260-0042 or Kirstin.m.p@gmail.com

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.