US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

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 Sunday, March 4^th, 2007 at 8:00 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:

 Powder skiing and riding have been the conditions over most of the Skyline area for the past few days. With 16 or so inches of new snow in the past week, conditions have improved tremendously along the Wasatch Plateau. Today’s warming temperatures will change that quickly and put a sun crust on all slopes exposed to the sun. This warming will also create another avalanche problem we have not had to deal with yet so far this season: Wet Snow Avalanches. Get out and enjoy the powder while it last but not until you check in on the avalanche conditions at the end of the report. We are still only in the 50-60% of normal snowfall range for the season. 
 

Mountain Weather:

Today: Mostly sunny. Warmer. Highs at 8000 feet around 40.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows at 8000 feet in the mid 20s.
Monday: Partly cloudy. Highs at 8000 feet around 40.
Monday night: Partly cloudy. Lows at 8000 feet in the mid 20s.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Highs at 8000 feet in the lower 40s.

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’):	42.8”	0”	27	Powder!
Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’):	24.0”	0”	23.1	Winds light westerly
Candland Peak	50”	~	26.5	Winds Light Northerly
Miller Flat Trailhead:	47””	0”	~	Powder!

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

We are calling the avalanche Danger along the Manti Skyline/Wasatch Plateau Region CONSIDERABLE at the moment. There are several problems out here worth detailing. Problem number one is the new snow we’ve had this week and the corresponding slabs built up with this new snow as a result of last Thursday’s wind event. These new snow slabs are the most likely culprits that would result in avalanche release and will be especially hazardous on Easterly aspects downwind of Thursday’s winds. Problem number two is the scariest. It too results from the snow we’ve had this week, but in a situation created by the low-snowfall conditions of this season and the corresponding deteriorations of the lower snowpack, we are seeing conditions ripe for Deep Slab Avalanches that could be unsurvivable. We’ve seen a couple of these monsters this season so far with crown heights in the 4-6 foot range and snow as hard as my desktop in it. The problem with these types of slides is that due to the hardness of the slab, you can get pretty far out onto one before it releases, then it’s the ride of your life, and hopefully not the last one. Again slopes with easterly components are the biggest risk for these beasts. The last problem, as I mentioned earlier, is daytime warming. This is something that we have to start thinking about this time of year as spring approaches, especially when it is on the heels of a storm and there is newer, dry snow around. The first warming cycle that new powder snow goes through almost always results in an avalanche cycle so be aware of this after the sun gets things warmed up this after noon. This problem will most likely present itself on SE through West facing slopes. We’ve had some close calls along the Skyline over the last couple of weekends and keep it limited to that! We’ll update this message next weekend. Thanks for calling.