Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Moab Area Mountains Issued by Eric Trenbeath for Sunday - March 5, 2017 - 6:55am
bottom line

The avalanche danger is MODERATE today and backcountry travelers will need to be alert to newly formed wind slabs in upper elevation, wind exposed terrain. There also remains an isolated, or MODERATE danger for triggering an avalanche on a buried weak layer on steep slopes right around tree line and above that face NW-N-E. Most other terrain offers LOW danger.




special announcement

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Returns to Moab, Monday, March 13. Featuring the year’s best films on mountain sport, culture and adventure, this will be the 14th season the festival has come to Moab. Proceeds support the Utah Avalanche Center - Moab and Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation. For more info and to purchase tickets, go here.

Lost Skis: A guest from Talking Mountain Yurts left a pair of blue DPS skis with Dynafit bindings at Geyser Pass Trailhead on Monday. Please call Will at 435-260-7601 if you picked them up.

Local skier Craig Bigler lost a ski in the North Woods. If you run across it pleas call him at 435-260-1007
current conditions

The story is the wind. Southeasterly winds have been blowing in the 30-40 mph range for the past 24 hours on Pre Laurel Peak. Today they will shift to the SW with gusts to 60 mph. It's a warm 35 degrees at the Geyser Pass Trailhead and 20 up on Pre Laurel. Snow surfaces range from sun crusted to wind scoured with a few areas of settled powder left in sheltered areas. Reed Kennard was out yesterday and managed to find some pretty good snow. He sent in this report.

Wind, temperature and humidity on Pre Laurel Peak. (11,700')

Storm totals and temperature in Gold Basin. (10,000')

Snow totals, temperature and snow/water equivalent at the Geyser Pass Trailhead. (9600')
recent activity
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

Wind slabs will be your primary concern today, especially in the high country. Though there isn't a lot of loose snow available for transport, winds of this intensity will scour into the snow surface on windward slopes, picking up snow and transportiing it to leeward slopes. Slabs today won't be well connected, but rather more of an isolated nature, sometimes appearing as ribbons along the leeward sides of gully walls and other terrain features. Avoid steep slopes with recent deposits of wind drifted snow, especially if they have a hollow feel or sound to them.

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

The chances of triggering an avalanche on a buried weak layer are decreasing, and over the past few days, people have been getting away with skiing some pretty big lines. But there are still some weak, faceted layers 16-20" below the surface on NW-N-NE aspects, primarily between 11,000' and 11,500'. They are easy to identfy, and I would recommend digging down to see if they are there, and how they behave, before committing to steeper, more radical terrain.

weather

Southwest winds will be on the increase today ahead of a storm system that will begin to affect the area this evening. Gusts may exceed 60 mph. High temperatures at 10,000' will be in the upper 30's. Most of the energy is passing to the north but we could see few inches of snow by Monday.


general announcements

Road Conditions: Grand county plowed the road on Wednesday and warm temperatures Thursday melted it out down to the dirt at lower elevations. Expect to find it snow packed up high, and muddy down low later in the day.

Grooming: Matt rolled out all mountain trails yesterday and ran the Ginzu into Gold Basin. It should be fast and furious this morning.

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The information in this advisory is from the US Forest Service which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.