US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

Snow, Weather and Avalanche Advisory

 Introduction:

Good Morning, this is Max Forgensi with the USFS Manti-La Sal Avalanche Center with your 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, March 19th, 2005 at 7:30 am.

Current Conditions:

The warm temperatures are gone and winter is trying to make a comeback. So far the snow has stayed to the North of the Skyline the only difference between a week ago and today are cold temperatures and a dusting of snow from two days ago. Not enough to make a difference to the snow conditions…in most areas the snow is a hard, supportable sun crust or just plain supportable from all the snowmobile traffic near the road. On sheltered North aspects you will find some consolidated powder in the trees. It should be an enjoyable day for every type of recreation: snowmobilers, kite-surfers and skiers. The road and parking lots are in great shape.

Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL: 42” of snow on the ground. The high temperature yesterday reached 40 degrees! It is currently 23 degrees out at 6:00 am.

Miller Flat Trailhead: There is 48” of snow on the ground.

Seeley Creek SNOTEL: There is 42” of snow on the ground. The high temperature yesterday reached 36 degrees at this SNOTEL stake. It is currently 15 degrees at 6:00 am.

Mountain Weather:

We have a good chance of some snow in the next 48 hours.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 40%. High at 8,000’ will be in the lower 40’s. Winds will be out of the W-SW at 8-12 mph.

Saturday night: Snow. Accumulations of 1-5” expected. Low at 8,000’ will be in the lower 20’s.

Sunday: Breezy. Snow. Accumulations of 2-5” expected. High at 8,000’ will be in the mid 30’s. Winds will be out of the NW at 15-25 mph.

Avalanche Conditions:

Nothing much is happening currently on the Skyline, and that’s how we like it. Conditions currently are locked in place, waiting to see how much snow falls out of the sky from the current storm that is threatening the region. When it does start to fly, our concerns will be directed to how well the new snow will bond to the sun and wind crusts and the possibility of tender cornices developing. The Bottom Line for today for the Skyline, I am going to rate the avalanche danger at LOW. Avalanches can still occur when the avalanche danger is LOW, it just means that they are unlikely to happen and will occur in isolated spots. Remember to expose only one person to the slope at a time, start in safe zones and practice with your avalanche transceivers! When the snow starts to fall and the wind starts to transport it, the avalanche danger will rise in response to the weather.