BOTTOM LINE

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

Danger Rose Tutorial

Low Avalanche Danger in the Mountains of SE Utahat this time. Not much snow so be careful if you do venture out into the winter backcountry. Snow in the forecast beginning today. Expect changing conditions and an increase in the Avalanche Danger for the SE Utah Mountains if the forecast verifies.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

It has not begun snowing yet in the La Sal or Abajo Mountains. There is still a major winter storm in the forecast. We have snow on North facing and Shady terrain above about 9500'. We have about 14" of snow on the ground at our Gold Basin Study Plot at 10,000 ft. Hardly enough yet for backcountry skiing and riding.

Cross Country skiing is possible on the roads, but no grooming has begun yet. Hopefully this storm will give us the kick start we need to get the groomers out.

Avalanche danger LOW on upper elevation N. facing slopes and non-existent on other slopes

The Geyser Pass Road and the La Sal Loop road are open and passable but expect some icy sections.

RECENT ACTIVITY

none reported or observed.

THREAT #1

WHERE

PROBABILITY

SIZE

TREND

Over the next 48 hours.

Low avalanche danger as of 12/07/09. Very limited snow coverage. Pockets of wind slab may exist on upper elevation, wind affected slopes on North and Northeast facing slopes above treeline.

This will change drastically if the forecast is correct! The current snowpack, composed mainly of Faceted Grains, is a weak layer and will not hold much of a new snow load before reaching critical avalanche loads. We can expect a large increase in the Avalanche Danger if and when we receive the currently forecast snow totals.

This forecast will EXPIRE in 48 hours.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

National Weather Service Forecast for 10,000 Ft. : CHILLY!

Today: Snow and areas of blowing snow. High near 22. Breezy, with a south southwest wind between 20 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible. Tonight: Snow and areas of blowing snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 16. Windy, with a south southwest wind between 20 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 9 to 13 inches possible. Tuesday: Snow and areas of blowing snow. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 16. Windy, with a south wind 30 to 35 mph becoming west 20 to 25 mph. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible. Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 3. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to between 5 and 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 13. West southwest wind between 5 and 15 mph. Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 5. Thursday: A 30 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 18.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

LUNA Groomer Training December 12th - Contact Kiersten Peterson at 260-0042 if you are interested in volunteering for the Lower Utah Nordic Alliance grooming team.

Basic Avalanche Awareness Class - Grand County Library, January 12th - 5:30 - 8:00 PM.

LSAC Level One Avalanche Class - 3 days, January 29 - 31 - Call 435-636-3363 to reserve a spot or get more info.

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.