BOTTOM LINE
Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)
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Danger Rose Tutorial
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Decent skiing and riding conditions exist on slopes that aren't tilted up towards the sun and crusted over. Powder conditions in re-crystallized powder can be found but coverage remains thin and bony. Expect to find a MODERATE avalanche danger in SE Utah on most slopes. Keeping POCKETS of CONSIDERABLE danger in the forecast for upper elevation alpine bowls in the La Sals on N thru NE thru NW facing slopes.
Click here to see the newly revised North American Avalanche Danger Scale. |
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CURRENT CONDITIONS |
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High pressure continues to dominate the region. You can almost hear the depth hoar forming at night in the La Sals from Moab....Pretty good skiing and riding conditions can be found on shady side slopes but the sunnier slopes have been crusted up by daytime warming. Ground cover is sparse and people have been hitting obstacles as the snowpack re-crystallizes and becomes less supportable and thinner. We have about 27 inches of snow at the Gold Basin study plot and there are 15 inches at the SNOTEL site above the Geyser Pass Trailhead.
Roads to the La Sal Mountain Trailheads (east and west sides) have been cleared by the San Juan County Road Crews. Thanks Guys.
LUNA volunteers groomed up and over Geyser Pass today. It's a bit rough as this was the first foray to the upper Nordic Trails and it will take a a couple of missions to really smooth it out. The upper Nordic loops were groomed though as was the lower Meadow loop. Enjoy. |
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RECENT ACTIVITY |
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Check out more info on avalanche classification here.
No recent activity, cracking and collapsing still being noted in the snowpack. |
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THREAT #1 |
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PROBABILITY |
SIZE |
TREND |
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Over the next
48 hours.
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Click here to see the newly revised North American Avalanche Danger Scale.
The Avalanche Danger has lessened in SE Utah with 5 days of high pressure and lighter winds. We're keeping pockets of CONSIDERABLE Avalanche Danger rating intact for upper elevation slopes above about 11,500 feet in the La Sal Mountains as these areas are more wind loaded. Expect to find a MODERATE Avalanche Danger elsewhere in the mountains of SE Utah. Remember, MODERATE does not mean NO avalanche danger. The snowpack in SE Utah is very weak, which is common this early in the winter. As always, travel in the backcountry with caution.
To look at a recent snowpit profile from the La Sals click here. This pit shows a major weakness between the old snow/new snow interface. Likely problem at present is the even weaker snow beneath that interface. |
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MOUNTAIN WEATHER |
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National Weather Service Forecast for 10,000 Ft. :
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. East northeast wind around 5 mph. Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming west. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 15. South southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph. Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 29. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. South wind between 10 and 15 mph. Monday: Partly sunny and breezy, with a high near 31. Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. Tuesday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24. Tuesday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 10. Wednesday: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 22. |
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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS |
As the season gets underway, we would like to thank the hard working volunteers at the Friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. Without thier help the center would not meet it's funding or staffing requirements. Thanks all! If you would like more infomation about donating to the Friends or simply helping out, click here.
Local Avalanche Education:
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
