US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

Good morning, this 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 Friday, January 12th, 2007 at 8:30 a.m.    

             

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

 

WE ARE TEACHING A FREE A.I.A.R.E. (AMEREICAN INSTITUTE FOR AVALANCHE, REASEARCH AND EDUCATION) CLASS UP ON THE SKYLINE!

THE CLASS IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 26TH-28TH.  CALL 435-636-3363 TO SIGN UP.  

 

  

General Conditions:

                If you are reading/listening to this advisory, you have a duty for today and through the weekend.  You must spread this information to everyone you see and hear from that is going up to recreate on the Manti-Skyline.  We are under a WINTER STORM WARNING and an AVALANCHE WATCH for the Manti-Skyline/Wasatch Plateau.  To compound the situation, this weekend is a holiday weekend.  There will be more people recreating on the Skyline, pushing people farther in the backcountry in search of fresh tracks and potentially into unfamiliar terrain.  Be very respectful of these “human factors”…we all can fall into these traps.  Stay vigilant.  Travel one at a time in avalanche terrain, park your snowmobiles out of the run-out zones of avalanche paths pointed towards for escape and heed the warning signs from Mother Nature.  Stay safe!

 

Mountain Weather: 

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MST SATURDAY..

Today: Snow. Snow accumulation 4 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 90 percent. South wind 8 mph. High 12.
Tonight: Snow. Snow accumulation 3 inches. Probability of measurable precipitation 90 percent. West wind 10 mph. Low -2.
Saturday: Snow showers. Snow accumulation 1 inch. Probability of measurable precipitation 80 percent. Northwest wind 10 mph. High 7.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow showers then slight chance of snow. Snow accumulation 1 inch. Probability of measurable precipitation 50 percent. West wind 8 mph. Low -2..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Weather Station/ Location

Snow Depth (HS):  in./cm

New Snow (HN) in./cm

7:00 a.m. Temp (F)

Current Observations:  Wind, 48 hour snow

Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL (8,800’):

22.5”

0

11.5

Snow on its way

Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’):

18”

0

16

Winds out of the SE at 2 gust to 7

Skyline Wind Site (SH 31):

Wx down

Wx down

Wx down

Wx down

Miller Flat Trailhead: 

23”

0

~

58% of normal, watch for ground hazards!

 

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

            Yesterdays field day gave us some clues on how unstable the snow is on the ground before this storm.  We triggered a HS-AS-R5-D2-O/G (Hard slab, skier triggered, 100% of avalanche path, enough to injure or kill you) avalanche on an East facing slope at 10,000’.  It was 300’ wide, broke way back on the ridge (started at 22 degrees) and the fracture line was 1’-2.5’ deep.  It ran farther than expected and wider than expected.  An interesting fact:  we triggered it at the shallowest location, not the deepest.  We also observed 3 other natural avalanches on the same aspects, East & Southeast.   For those of you going into alpine bowls this weekend, READ:  These hard slabs are out there, period.  You can and will find them and the consequences could be fatal.

            The snow pack on North aspects is weak, uncohesive, sugar snow that will be reactive if we get significant snow fall out of this current storm.  South aspects have breakable sun-crusts in sheltered areas while your west aspects have been stripped by recent winds. 

            The BOTTOM LINE for today will be an AVALANCHE DANGER of CONSIDERABLE on North-Southeast aspects where recent wind slabs have been deposited.  The rest of the range will be MODERATE.  As more snow falls and wind blows, expect the Avalanche Danger to increase.