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 of Utah State Parks and the USFS. Today is Saturday, February 18th, 2006, at 7:30 am.

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:

Cold temperatures are on tap for the Skyline today. At 5:00 a.m. it is 8 degrees out on top of the Skyline. 5”-8” of snow has fallen on the Skyline over the past week, making for some decent snow powder conditions overlying a very hard/stable snow surface. The wind has been blowing out of the west and has created some monster cornices on East and North aspects…some of which have failed catastrophically. Read on to the avalanche conditions for more. Today you can expect clouds to move in early afternoon as a storm moves in from the Southwest.

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

Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL (8,800’): 53” of snow on the ground. It is 8 degrees out at 5:00 am.

Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’): There is 36” of snow on the ground. It is 13 degrees out at 5:00 am.

There is 58” of snow on the ground at the Miller Flat Trailhead.

Mountain Weather:

Today: Snow. Snow accumulation 2 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 60 percent. Southwest wind 13 mph. High 20.
Tonight: Snow. Snow accumulation 3 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 70 percent. Southwest wind 13 mph. Low 0.
Sunday: Snow. Snow accumulation 4 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 70 percent. South wind 7 mph. High 14..

Avalanche Conditions: (Click here for the International Avalanche Danger Scale)

Yesterday we were able to observe some monster cornice failures up on the Skyline. Some of the chunks are as big as a bus. The snow on the ground is generally stable, except for the fact that we have some weak snow buried under the new snow from this past week. This weak layer of facets is only 6-10” under the snow surface and should not be reactive in most places…there isn’t enough weight on it yet. As we get some wind slab to develop on top of these areas, this layer will become more reactive.

For today the BOTTOM LINE is going to be MODERATE up on the Skyline. Be especially careful of large overhanging cornices and areas that have developed shallow wind slabs on North-Easterly aspects. These wind slabs will be very localized and found at the very top of starting zones.

Have fun out there! You can also check us out at 7:30 AM on radio station KTMI on Saturday Mornings.

Basic Avalanche Awareness and Field Day
*The advisory is also available via recorded message at (800) 648-7433