Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Moab Area Mountains Issued by Eric Trenbeath for Saturday - December 26, 2015 - 7:15am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is HIGH today on slopes steeper than about 30 degrees. Stay off of and out from under steep slopes and avoid all areas of avalanche terrain today.




avalanche warning

THE FOREST SERVICE UTAH AVALANCHE CENTER IN MOAB UTAH HAS ISSUED A BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE WARNING.

* TIMING…IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM MST SAT MORNING TO 6 PM MST SATURDAY

* AFFECTED AREA…LA SAL MOUNTAINS

* AVALANCHE DANGER…THE AVALANCHE DANGER FOR THE WARNING AREA IS HIGH TODAY.

* REASON…HEAVY SNOW COMBINED WITH WIND WILL LIKELY CREATE WIDESPREAD AREAS OF UNSTABLE SNOW.  BOTH HUMAN TRIGGERED AND NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE LIKELY ON SLOPES STEEPER THAN ABOUT 30 DEGREES.

special announcement

current conditions

Snotel data has been extremely hard to interpret over the past 24 hours but it appears as though we got hammered pretty good again with maybe a foot of new snow at the Geyser Pass Trailhead, and 18" -20" in Gold Basin. Southwest winds yesterday blew in the teens with gusts into the high 20's. Around 5:00 p.m. they shifted to the the NW where they are currently averaging 15 mph gusting into the mid 30's.

Base depth in Gold Basin: 55"

Base at Geyser Pass Trailhead: 42"

Winds, temperature and humidity on Pre-Laurel Peak

New snow totals, temperature and humidity in Gold Basin

Total snow depth and temperature at Geyser Pass Trailhead



recent activity

This avalanche. occurred in Horse Creek on Tuesday. With the additional load of new snow we are likely to see more of this.

Observer Dave Garcia stand in front of 3' crown. Slide was 500' wide and ran for 1000'


Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Heavy amounts of snow have accumulated over the past week adding stress to buried weak layers in the snowpack. The danger is currently high for natural and human triggered persistent slab avalanches. These slides will be deep, dangerous, and potentially un-survivable. Stay off of and out from under steep slopes.

Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Winds and blowing snow continue to form new drifts or wind slabs on the lee sides of ridge crests and terrain features in wind exposed terrain. A triggered wind slab has the very real potential to step down into a deeper weak layer causing a dangerous persistent slab avalanche. Avoid slopes steeper than about 30 degrees where you can detect recent deposits of wind drifted snow and look for the obvious clues such as cracking or collapsing in the snowpack.

weather

Today

A 50 percent chance of snow, mainly before 2pm. Partly sunny and cold, with a high near 5. Wind chill values as low as -25. Blustery, with a north northeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around -3. Wind chill values as low as -20. North northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 12. Wind chill values as low as -20. East northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around -4. Wind chill values as low as -20. East wind around 10 mph becoming south after midnight.

Monday

Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 5. South southwest wind around 10 mph.

general announcements

The road was plowed on Wednesday but everyone will be on their own over the weekend. It looks like it's  going to be pretty deep up there. 

Thanks for sending in your observations. You can view Moab observations here. To post an observation go here.

To receive this advisory by email go here.

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 exist.