Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center

US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

Introduction: Good Morning! This is Max Forgensi with the USFS Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center with your avalanche and mountain weather advisory for the Wasatch Plateau/Manti Skyline Region, including but not limited to Ephraim, Huntington and Fairview Canyons. This advisory is brought to you through a partnership with Utah State Parks. Today is Saturday, February 5^th, 2005 at 7:30 a.m.

To see past advisories check out the ARCHIVE. To see current conditions go to our WEATHER PAGE. To see photos go to the AVIPHOTOS page.

We are currently teaching a three day Level I Avalanche Course in Mt. Pleasant. The FREE class is full!

General Conditions:

Warm days and clear cold nights have been the norm up on the Skyline. Yesterday the temperatures reached 48 degrees at the Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL site, and the low temperature got down to 11 degrees. Perfect conditions for surface hoar to develop, a feathery crystal on the snow that reflects in the sun. The lack of any new snow and warm temperatures mean that there are plenty of snowmobile tracks out there and that on those South and West aspects the snow has some sun crust on it. Hopefully we will get some new snow in the next couple of days to freshen up the conditions.

Current Conditions (6 a.m.):

Miller Flat (8,800’): 42” of settled snow on the ground.

Seeley Creek (10,000’): There is 41” of snow at the SNOTEL site.

Mountain Weather: (At 8,000’)

Today...Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of snow. The temperature will peak in the low 30’s.
Tonight...Mostly cloudy with a 30% chance of snow. Low at 8,000’ will be near 20.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Snow Likely. Accumulations possible. High at 8,000’ near 30 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Avalanche Conditions:

With mild temperatures, no new snow for a week and calm wind speeds, the avalanche danger is not changing dramatically. However, don’t let your guard down, there is some snow available for the wind to blow around could pile up into shallow slabs that may be enough to take you for a ride into a tree or into a terrain trap. Although we won’t be seeing big and scary avalanches, it is a day to consider obstacles and terrain traps, and if it looks like some wind loading is occurring, to avoid those steep and shady wind loaded slopes. The bottom line is an avalanche danger that may rise to MODERATE if the wind speeds pick up and start drifting the snow, on slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Otherwise the avalanche danger will remain mostly LOW. Remember that MODERATE danger means human triggered avalanches are possible, so always play it safe out there!

This advisory will be updated tomorrow