US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National
Forest
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
To
check out past advisories, go to ARCHIVE. To check out the current, go to our WEATHER page.
Current
Conditions:
Cold temperatures and winds are
on tap for the Manti-Skyline on this blustery Sunday. The storm has left a 6” blanket of snow on
most areas, and the wind that has remained quite steady out of the west has
been depositing this snow on easterly aspects throughout the night and into the
morning. Expect cornice development and
drifts of 12”-18”. A HEAVY SNOW WARNING
IN EFFECT UNTIL
Click
the links below to find out up to date information at these weather stations on
the Skyline.
Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL
(8,800’): 8.3” of snow on the ground, 10
degrees at
Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’):
There is 7” of snow on the ground, 4 degrees at
Mountain
Weather:
Today...Windy with
snow showers. Colder. Accumulation
2-5 inches. Highs at 8000 feet in the lower 20s.
West winds 20-30 mph.
Tonight...Breezy. Partly cloudy with a 40
percent chance of snow showers. Lows at 8000 feet 5 to
10 above. Northwest winds 15-25 mph.
Monday...Partly cloudy. Highs at 8000 feet
in the mid 20s.
Avalanche
Conditions:
The 6” we received so far has definitely freshened up the conditions on the Skyline, and hopefully the next five days will bring us more. With this new snow, it is time to start thinking avalanche when you head out to your Wasatch Plateau backyard. The winds, temperatures and snowfall amounts all work in conjuction to tell us something about the stability. Obviously, wind scoured areas will be the safest areas to travel, but that is not where the goods are. They are located on those easterly aspects on steep, wind-loaded slopes. You will also find some of this blown powder in the trees too, ground hazard will exist and make travel difficult. I hope those meadows are holding snow out Miller Flat T.H.!
For the AVALANCHE hazard today, the Bottom Line is going to be MODERATE on those steep easterly aspects. This means natural avalanches will be unlikely and human-triggered avalanches are possible. Cornice development along the top will be occurring throughout the day. When cornices grow rapidly, that is the time they are the most unstable, so be careful!
Once
again, get out and practice with your transceivers as well. Lets build good habits from the get go. If you do not own an avalanche transceiver,
there are a couple stores in the
*The advisory is also
available via recorded message at (800) 648-7433