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 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 of Utah State Parks and the USFS.  Today is Saturday, December 3rd, 2005 at 7:00 am.  

 

To check out past advisories, go to ARCHIVE.  To check out the current, go to our WEATHER page. 

 

This weekend the folks from OZONE is hosting a snow-kiting festival on December 3rd and 4th.   Demos and lessons will be available for anyone who shows up on top the Skyline!

 

Current Conditions:

                For the past 48 hours the Manti-Skyline has seen its first real winter storm of the season.  Snow has been the norm up on the Manti-Skyline for this past week, 6” of new snow in the past 24 hours and 16”-24” of snow has fallen since Tuesday evening.  The roads will be snow covered so drive with caution.  The road crews have been working hard to keep the road in decent shape, you can thank them for you being able to get up and enjoy the snow.  The biggest factor for today and into the weekend will be the winds, which will be increasing the avalanche hazard, so read on. 

 

Click the links below to find out up to date information at these weather stations on the Skyline. 

Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL (8,800’):  20” of snow on the ground, 17 degrees at 5:00 a.m.

Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’):  There is 15” of snow on the ground, 13 degrees at 5:00 a.m.

Miller Flat Trailhead:  Yesterday Evening there was 26” of snow on the ground, 16”+ since Tuesday evening. 

 

Mountain Weather: 

Today...Breezy. Cloudy with scattered snow showers. Colder. Highs at 8000 feet near 20. West winds 15-25 mph. Chance of snow 50 percent.
Tonight...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Colder. Lows at 8000 feet zero to 5 above. West winds 15-25 mph.
Sunday...Breezy. Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Highs at 8000 feet near 20. West winds 15-25 mph. 

 

Avalanche Conditions: 

                The temperatures on the Skyline were quite warm, and heavy snow with approximately 17% water content was falling, a far cry from the cold white smoke that Utah usually sees.  Travelling around in meadows and on Northerly aspects yesterday there was widespread whoomphing and localized cracking, both of which are tell-tale signs of snow instability.  The winds were strong yesterday and are forecasted again today to be strong out of the West.  Cornices were developing yesterday and soft slabs on North-East aspects were 2’-4’ deep in the starting zones.  With continued wind loading on these aspects, you can expect to see and possibly start avalanches in these areas.  Below 9,000’ there wasn’t much snow before this last week of winter weather, which will limit the avalanche activity in this area.  Be careful of stumps and fences just under the snow surface and I wouldn’t trust any of the reservoirs yet. 

                For the AVALANCHE  hazard today, the Bottom Line is going to be MODERATE in most areas above 9,000’ with the exception of  North through Easterly aspects on steep slopes greater than 35 degrees.  The avalanche danger rating will be CONSIDERABLE on these slopes.  This will be true for the high alpine bowls right off the pass, near the Big Drift, Roflson, Potters, Seeley Canyons…All the way south towards Ephraim Canyon.  Remember, a CONSIDERABLE hazard rating means that natural avalanches are possible and human triggered avalanches are probable on those steep N-E aspects.   Cornice development along the top will be occurring throughout the day.  When cornices grow rapidly, that is the time they are the most unstable, so be careful!