US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

Introduction:

Good morning, this Dave Medara 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 Monday, December 11th, 2006, at 7:30 am.

If you have been out in the backcountry, please post your OBSERVATIONS with us!

To check out past advisories, go to ARCHIVE.

To check out the current weather, go to our WEATHER page.

For more information on snowmobiling on the Skyline, click this LINK

Current Conditions:

The storm totals along the weather stations of the Manti-skyline this morning are not that impressive but any new snow is better than a poke in the eye. The low snow totals may be a blessing avalanche wise, as a big storm would have resulted in a widespread avalanche cycle due to the very weak nature of the underlying old snow. Right now the avalanche danger will be more localized. We’ve had 3 – 5 tenths of an inch of water along the Skyline and this will help the sledding and skiing quite a bit. Right now we can only confirm water totals but estimate 4-6 inches of new snow along the Skyline. Read or Listen on for more avalanche information. Remember. It’s still a shallow snowpack out there!

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

Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL (8,800’): 18.” on the ground, 4” new snow (est.) 22 degrees out @ 7:00 a.m.

Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’): 18” on the ground, 6 inches new snow, winds are light from the NW, 18 degrees @ 7:00 a.m.

Miller Flat Trailhead: 20” of snow on the ground, 4” new

Mountain Weather:

Today: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Snow showers likely in the morning...then a slight chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Additional accumulation 2 to 4 inches. Highs at 8000 feet around 30. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60 percent.
Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows at 8000 feet near 15.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. Highs at 8000 feet in the mid 30s.
Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Lows at 8000 feet 15 to 20.

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

Well, as I said earlier, the snow totals are not that impressive. Most places in the Wasatch are reporting 4-6 inches of new snow and this would be consistent with the .3-.4 inches of snow water equivalent reported from wx-stations along the Skyline. The new snow is falling on a very weak base of old, faceted snow grains, fortunately the low snowfall totals will limit avalanche activity to upper elevation, wind affected areas. We are currently calling the avalanche danger MODERATE, with elevated danger on East facing slopes where we are calling the avalanche danger CONSIDERABLE. These areas of elevated danger will be where the winds out of the West and Northwest will be moving the new snow into deeper drifts. These ratings mean that human triggered avalanches are possible and natural avalanches possible in the areas of elevated danger. We don’t expect widespread activity from this small storm, but it’s time to start thinking about avalanches and how to stay out of them.

The advisory is also available via recorded message at (888) 999-4019 option 6 or at (800) 648-7433 (OHV-RIDE)