US Forest Service Manti-La Sal National Forest

Introduction:

Good morning, this is 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 Friday, February 03, 2006, at 8:30 am.

To check out past advisories, go to ARCHIVE. To check out the current, go to our WEATHER page.

NEW LINK! If you have been out in the backcountry, please post your OBSERVATIONS with us! If you would like to see some SNOWPIT profiles, click the link…and more to come.

Current Conditions:

7-10” inches of new snow has fallen over the skyline in the last 24 hours. This is well short of the mark that the NWS was calling for but skiing and riding conditions will be freshened up a bit and the plow crews will get a shot at more overtime. The thing to note about this new snow is it’s density. 1.3” of water were measured in 10 inches of snow at Seely creek and 1.2” of h2o measured in 8 inches of snow at the Mammoth-Cottonwood snotel site. The high water content of the new snow will make the new snow a bit more supportable for snow machines and challenging for skiers.

Click the links below to find out up to date information at these weather stations on the Skyline.

Mammoth/Cottonwood SNOTEL (8,800’): 59” of snow on the ground. It is 22 degrees out at 7:00 am.

Seeley Creek SNOTEL (10,000’): There is 39” of snow on the ground. It is 18 degrees out at 7:00 am.

There is about 64” of snow on the ground at the Miller Flat Trailhead.

Mountain Weather:

Today...Mostly cloudy with isolated snow showers. Highs at 8000 feet in the upper 30s. Chance of snow 20 percent.
Tonight...Partly cloudy. Lows at 8000 feet near 10.
Saturday...Partly cloudy. Highs at 8000 feet in the upper 30s.
Saturday Night...Breezy. Snow likely. Accumulations possible. Lows at 8000 feet 5 to 10 above. West winds 15-25 mph. Chance of snow 70 percent

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

Strong winds and the high water content of the new snow equate to an increase in the avalanche danger from earlier this week. Active wind loading on leeward sides of slopes and ridges will build overhanging cornices and create wind deposits in the starting zones of avalanche paths much thicker than the 8-10 inches of new snow we’ve received. The BOTTOM LINE for today will be an avalanche danger of CONSIDERABLE on slopes greater than 35 degrees. This means that human triggered avalanches are likely if you get into the wrong spot. Travel on steep slopes one at a time and keep in mind that any slides that release in this dense new snow will really pack a punch. Large avalanches in the Wasatch Mountains to the north yesterday both with control work and skier traffic underscore the potential. Have fun out there and thanks for checking in. We will update this message by 8:30 Saturday morning. You can also check us out at 7:30 AM on radio station KTMI.

Basic Avalanche Awareness and Field Day
*The advisory is also available via recorded message at (800) 648-7433