US Forest Service
Manti-La Sal National
Forest
Introduction:
Good
Morning, this is Dave Medara with the
To
check out past advisories, go to ARCHIVE. To check out the current, go to our WEATHER page.
NEW LINK!
If you have been out in the backcountry, please post your OBSERVATIONS with us! If you would like to see some SNOWPIT profiles, click the link…and more to
come.
Current
Conditions:
Seeley Creek was the big winner
up on the Manti-Skyline this morning with a total of 12 inches of new snow, .8”
of water. The Mammoth/Cottonwood site registered about half of that indicating
the more southerly track of this storm. Powder riding and skiing will be
excellent today, but as always, new snow means higher avalanche danger, particularly
in the southern part of the Wasatch Plateau. There is more snow in the forecast
for this week so start looking at the snow through avalanche eyeballs. Have a
great day in the fresh powder out there and make sure you stay on top of it! Dress
Warm!
Click the links below to find out
up to date information at these weather stations on the Skyline.
Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL
(8,800’): 44.2” of snow on the ground. 3 degrees at
Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’):
There is 27” of snow on the ground.
2.5 degrees at
There is about 47” of snow on the ground at the Miller Flat Trailhead.
Mountain
Weather:
Today...Partly cloudy. Highs at 8000 feet in the lower 20s.
Tonight...Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly
cloudy. Lows at 8000 feet zero to 5
Tuesday...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow. Highs
at 8000 feet around 30.
Tuesday Night...Mostly cloudy with snow likely. Accumulations
possible. Lows at 8000 feet 15-20. Chance of snow 60 percent.
Avalanche Conditions:
(Click here for the International
Avalanche Danger Scale)
We are approaching what we would call “critical values” with the snow measured at Seely Creek this morning. While coming in just below the threshold value of 1” of water, the 12 “ of snow measured is considered critical. The Seely Creek site is also low, meaning more snow probably fell up high and it is also worth noting that down in the more southerly zones of the Plateau, the snow pack is thinner and weaker. It will not take as much new snow to create instability as it will in the Skyline Drive area The BOTTOM LINE for today will be a avalanche danger of CONSIDERABLE on steep, wind-loaded aspects and where cornices are developing. I would even say that pockets of HIGH avalanche danger are likely in the more southerly areas that received larger amounts of snow. Remember a HIGH avalanche danger means that natural and human-triggered avalanches are likely.
Be careful out there today and
practice safe travel techniques. Carry an Avalanche Beacon, shovel and probe
and know how to use them. If you don’t know or want to know more then we’d like
to invite you to attend a Basic Avalanche Awareness and Field Day starting at
the Carbon County Recreation Center, Price, Utah. 7 p.m. at the Rec Center on
Friday evening January 20th, with a Field day Saturday on the
Skyline January 21st, 2006.
Basic Avalanche Awareness and Field Day
*The advisory
is also available via recorded message at (800) 648-7433