La Sal Mountain Snow Report 1-9-18
I think we can safely say the Nordic ski season has finally begun! Unfortunately, anyone hoping to backcountry ski, snowboard, snowmobile, snowbike, or sleep in snow caves will need to drive somewhere else or be patient. If those aren’t an option, maybe try giving cross-country skiing a chance. You can ski slow or fast. Full body aerobic workout or merely a slide through the quiet winter woods. Rim Cyclery has classic skis for rent, and Moab Gear Trader has a great selection of Nordic gear for sale. We specialize in Nordic touring gear with heavy duty bindings, metal edges for control on the downhill, supportive boots, and Nordic skis with sidecut for making turns on low angle slopes.
For some possible good news on the La Nina event affecting us this winter keep reading till the end
Mount Mellanthin above the groomed Gold Basin Road
Grooming
Matt rolled the track into Gold Basin yesterday, thanks so much! The bad news is that someone drove a vehicle on the fresh grooming from the parking lot up Geyser Pass. The good news is they did not go into Gold Basin, so from the junction onward is some darn nice corduroy, especially for a 1-3″ packed base! Skate skiers will find the ruts challenging, but there was someone putting the hammer down yesterday. Classic skiers will have no trouble making it to the Gold Basin turnoff except on Glass Hill which was melted to the ground before this last storm. Most folks were walking that small stretch. Watch our website for information on the next grooming plan after our storm this week. With any luck we will have some smooth corduroy by the weekend!
VERY thin coverage on Glass Hill
Road
Geyser Pass Road is snowpacked and passable by 2wd vehicles currently. This storm has the potential to shut down the road if maximum snowfall amounts materialize. Please travel safe and wisely if you choose to head up before Grand County plows the road.
Follow the Moab Avalanche Advisory for updated road plowing information.
Weather
Now here is some good news! NOAA‘s computers are forecasting 12-22″ of snow at 10,000′. Additionally it appears as if another inch or so fell yesterday evening which puts us at 25% of normal SWE. It sounds bad, but our friends to the south near the Abajos are dealing with 8% right now….
The snow should begin today with the most intense snowfall happening early Wednesday morning as the front passes. Winds will be pretty high with gusts approaching 40mph. By Thursday morning everything should be cleared out and sunny. No other major storms are forecast to affect us through the weekend so far.
Moab is forecast to possibly see rain/snow mix spitting on and off through Tuesday. Temperatures look pretty tame with highs in the 40s. Sunny and clear through the weekend so get out and explore somewhere new!
Want to learn a little more about La Nina and what typically happens in mid-winter? Check out these images from meteorologists at the National Weather Service Denver/Boulder Office. The comments from the forecasters are very educational as well. I did say “possible” good news in the intro since a typical La Nina year will tend to see more winter storms in central and northern Colorado and those might hit us too.
GEAR
Moab Gear Trader is Moab’s winter sports headquarters. We carry Black Diamond back country ski poles, skins, shovels, probes, and beacons. From Voile, we have skins, shovels, and probes. Brooks-Range Mountaineering avalanche & back country gear is always in stock as well as closeout backcountry skiing back packs from Arva. We are have a full selction of waxes and tuning supplies from Swix. Got questions? We love talking about gear and the places that it takes us. Stop by and tell us where you have been!
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