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 Saturday, February 17^th, 2007 at 7:30 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

General Conditions:

We are issuing a SPECIAL AVALANCHE STATEMENT for the Wasatch Plateau/Manti-Skyline Region for today through the rest of the President’s Day weekend.

Please Read!!!!!! Be especially careful when traveling in avalanche terrain this weekend. The first big storm of the season is going to bring increased usage to the back country. Storm totals of over 12”, rapid cornice development and active wind-loading on leeward slopes and ridges make this a HEADS UP SITUATION. Ensure that you do not fall into human traps such as “powder fever” and “scarcity”. This will be tough to do, as this weekend will have the best conditions of the season to date. Realize this: A few seconds of bliss is not worth losing your life. Traveling in avalanche terrain is not recommended for users who don’t have formal avalanche training. Do not approach cornices, stay away from the run-out zones of avalanche paths and travel one at a time in avalanche terrain. Sunny skies and new snow make it difficult to realize that there are hazards out there that could ruin your day.

Mountain Weather:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. North northwest wind between 3 and 11 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 20. Light wind becoming south southwest between 10 and 13 mph.
Sunday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 33. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 13 to 16 mph increasing to between 21 and 24 mph.
Sunday Night: Periods of snow, mainly after 11pm. Low around 15. Breezy, with a south wind 11 to 14 mph becoming southwest between 22 and 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

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’):	31.5”	0”	20	Powder!
Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’):	21”	0”	18	Winds out of the WNW at 14 gust to 20
Skyline Wind Site (SH 31):	Wx down	Wx down	Wx down	Wx down
Miller Flat Trailhead:	38””	0”	~	Powder!

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

Heavy snow, transport wind and a very weak snow pack structure all adds up to increased avalanche danger. Consistent strong winds from the West-Northwest will be transporting snow onto ESE through North aspects. These winds have been strong out of this direction for 41 out of the past 48 hours! Observations from this past week pointed towards many instabilities. Large, overhanging cornices have developed on leeward sides of slopes and ridges and are very sensitive. The can and will entrain tons of snow with them when they fail. Avalanches have been reported failing to the ground on Northerly aspects. Shooting cracks and collapsing is normal out there.

The BOTTOM LINE for today will be an AVALANCHE DANGER of CONSIDERABLE on all aspects where recent slabs and sensitive cornices have been deposited. This will especially be true in the steep alpine bowls south of State highway 31.

Do not drop your guard due to Powder Fever! Base your travel and recreation on Mother Nature’s signs and by testing small slopes before committing to larger, potentially more dangerous slopes. Have fun, but be careful.