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 Sunday, January 28th, 2007 at 8:00 a.m.   This advisory will expire in 24 hours.  

             

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

 

  

General Conditions:     

        The flow aloft across Utah will be light and variable through Sunday.  Strong Northern valley inversions will continue.  Weak high pressure will return Sunday through Monday.  Moisture will increase over Southern Utah Tuesday.  As for riding conditions, there is some decent powder lurking out there on North through East aspects and in rolling meadows.  All high alpine bowls are super hard, easy to climb and have tons of rocks!   Be careful out there. 

 

     Mountain Weather:

Today: Mostly sunny. Highs at 8000 feet in the mid 20s.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows at 8000 feet near 15.
Monday: Partly cloudy. Highs at 8000 feet around 30.
Monday night: Partly cloudy. Lows at 8000 feet 15 to 20.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow. Highs at 8000 feet around 30.
Tuesday night: Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow. Lows at 8000 feet 15 to 20.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

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’):

23.2”

0”

14

Warmer in mtns than valleys

Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’):

20.8”

0”

11

Winds out of the WNW at 4 gust to 6

Skyline Wind Site (SH 31):

Wx down

Wx down

Wx down

Wx down

Miller Flat Trailhead: 

25”

~

~

Good trail riding

 

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

            Conditions have been very benign, with the lack of any new snowfall and warm temperatures.  Recent High pressure and the associated cold, clear nights have been breaking down the upper layer of the snowpack resulting in a condition called Neear Surface Faceting. When this process occurs water vapor moves upward through the snowpack because of the temperature difference (or gradient) between the temperature of the snow near the surface and the air temperature. Water vapor flows through the upper part of the snowpack causing a metamorphic process in the snow crystals called Faceting. These faceted crystals form a weak, sugary layer that will not hold the weight of a new load of snow. In the lower half of this snow pack, faceted grains exist as well due to similar processes earlier in the year.   We have a bed surface, weak layers(s) and the terrain for avalanches to slide upon.  What we need now for a LARGE avalanche cycle is a significant load.  It appears that we do not have a weather maker for this load to develop and as a result the Avalanche Danger for today will be LOW.  Travel will generally be safe, although be aware of areas of hard wind slabs on leeward sides of slopes and ridges on SE-E aspects.  We spied more hard slabs yesterday in Lake Canyon and in Spring Canyon.  They are out there!