Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center

US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

Introduction: Good Evening! This is Evan Stevens 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 with Utah State Parks. Today is Saturday, February 12^th, 2005 at 5:30 p.m.

To see past advisories check out the ARCHIVE. To see current conditions go to our WEATHER PAGE. To see photos go to the AVIPHOTOS page.

General Conditions:

The storm is slowly abating, leaving lingering snow showers and warm temperatures in its wake. Overall storm totals for the last 24 hours are about 3-6” of new snow with about .5” of water. Temperatures have been hovering around the freezing mark all day and as a result we have a blanket of warm and wet snow, providing for some good riding and skiing conditions in the wind sheltered locations. Expect some poor visibility above the trees, and 4WD is recommended to have along.

Current Conditions (6 a.m.):

Miller Flat (8,800’): 29 degrees 50” of settled snow on the ground with 3-6” of new snow and .5” snow water equivalent overnight.

Top of the Skyline: 60 to 80” of settled snow on the ground.

Mountain Weather: (At 8,000’)

Tonight: Cloudy with a 50% chance of snow, but only an inch or two. Northwest winds 15 to 25mph with a low in the teens.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy. West wind around 20 mph. High in the low 30’s.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. 30% Chance of snow, but only about an inch. West winds in the low 20’s. Low in the teens.

Avalanche Conditions:

The warm and wet storm that is slowly leaving our area is making me a bit cautious about riding in avalanche terrain this weekend. With about .5” of water in the new snow and some decent winds, a fair bit of new snow slabs have been and are still being built up. In the steep and northerly aspects I wouldn’t be surprised by 1-2’ deep slabs that are just on the brink of failing-don’t be the trigger that brings them down! Right now the snowpack is a bit ‘upside down’ with the wind and heavy new snow laying down a heavier layer of snow on top of some of the lighter old snow that was on the surface before this last storm. My advice is to heed mother nature’s warning signs such as cracking and collapsing of the snowpack and be extra cautious on wind loaded terrain steeper than 35 degrees. On these slopes the avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE, which means human triggered avalanches are probable. Watch out for cornice failures as well, with the temperatures as warm as they have been-cornices will also clue you in to what slopes have been loaded! I know that all the fresh snow makes playing on lower angle terrain and working on your sled tricks in the meadows just as fun of a day out…it might be a good option this weekend! On those lower angled slopes (less than 30 degrees) the avalanche danger is MODERATE to LOW.