Moab Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Dave Medara

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The Avalanche Danger Scale is being revised for next winter. Our friends up in Canada have created a short survey found at the following link. Please help ensure the new Avalanche Danger Scale is effective by completing a survey. http://surveys.globalepanel.com/wix/p319164581.aspx


BOTTOM LINE

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


Danger Rose Tutorial

Powder Skiing and Riding conditions are getting harder to find in the SE Utah mountains. You can do it though, as we managed today. Don't go too high... Mid-elevation E-NE-NW facing slopes are your best bet. Avoid wind loaded areas, particlarly above treeline. Avalanche Danger rating MODERATE, meaning the possibility of human triggered avalanches still exists in isolated areas.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

Lot's of wind damage out there. We skied up to almost 12,000 feet today and covered a lot of aspects and elevations. Above treeline things were really ripped apart by the winds. We found good skiing on re-crystallized powder on Mid-elevation north facing slopes with some loosely spaced trees for shelter. We checked oout the south facing slopes but they were covered by breakable crust and it's too early for a corn cycle just yet. The visiting skier would do well to check out some of the mid-elevation shady side slopes in Gold Basin.

The road to the Geyser Pass trailhead and the Dark Canyon trailhead has been plowed.

Matt Hebbard (volunteer of the year!) groomed in to Gold Basin and up to Geyser Pass including the upper and lower nordic loops. It is groomed for skate skiing but there is no double track set for classic skiing. Matt you rock.


RECENT ACTIVITY

Evidence of some slide activity in upper Horse Creek from mid-week. Crowns all but destroyed by the North Winds.


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

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

Winds were very active today from the north and the threat of isolated wind pockets at and above treeline exists. We are calling the Avalanche Danger MODERATEat and above treeline for this reason. Look out for fat, rounded pillows of wind drifted snow.


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
No trend identified.

Watch daytime heating today with forecast warm temperatures. If the slope you are on is getting wet and mushy, and crusts that were frozen earlier in the day have melted off, then it is time to get out of there.


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Mountain Weather for SE Utah at 10,000 ft:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. North northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 5 mph. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming southeast. Sunday: A 20 percent chance of snow after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 15 and 20 mph. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to between 10 and 15 mph. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Monday: Sunny, with a high near 43. Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 48.


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

This forecast will expire in 24 hours.


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.