Is there any chance the Narrows will be open by this coming Sunday (May 26)?

[nkanarik]

I believe I know the answers, but still wanted to know from the local experts...Is there any chance the Narrows will be open by this coming Sunday (May 26)?

I have a permit for Mystery, but have a feeling that I'll have to use my backup canyon that day.

Thx

[Iceaxe]

I would put the odds somewhere between pigs flying and ice cubes in hell.

YMMV

[rockgremlin]

With the amount of runoff that we're getting so far this year + this Spring being exceptionally wet, I'm betting the Narrows will be a no-go zone.

According to the following site, the Virgin is around 10' ~ which is pretty high, although it needs another 6-7 feet before it's considered flood stage.


https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=slc&gage=nfvu1

[Sombeech]

here are some photos shared by the park of the slide that took out the path, it could take a while to repair, but then again how crucial is this path to Narrows itself being open?

92714

92715

92716

[2065toyota]

And Cedar Mountain received another 16" of snow this week with even more expected. Snotel is still reading 72" of snow on top of the mountain. Maybe by June 26

[Scott Card]

Current flows are between 800 cfs and 1200 cfs if I read the chart correctly. It has to be at 150 cfs to open. Not happening....

[rockgremlin]

Current flows are between 800 cfs and 1200 cfs if I read the chart correctly. It has to be at 150 cfs to open. Not happening....

Which chart was that? The chart I posted above from the NOAA website looks like the flows were hovering around 0.4 - 0.5 kcfs (or 400 - 500 cfs).

Not saying you're wrong, just curious...

Either way, you're right -- not happening.

[Scott Card]

Here is the page: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ut/nwis/uv?site_no=09406000 Obviously I was averaging the past several days. https://natwebcaww01.wr.usgs.gov/nwisweb/data/img/USGS.09406000.144200.00060..20190515.20190522.log. 0.p50.gif

[rockgremlin]

Thanks for the link, Scott. Interesting that the waterdata for USGS would be so much higher than what is reported by NOAA (probably more dependable too).

[jman]

This snow year is very close to the snow year in 2011 and 2005 (or 2006?) and the Narrows didn’t open until nearly the 2nd week of July...




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[Scott Card]

This is probably more accurate and the one I meant to post. This graph is at Springdale where the other was at Virgin. So the average is more like 400 to 800 cfs. https://natwebcaww01.wr.usgs.gov/nwisweb/data/img/USGS.09405500.144196.00060..20190515.20190522.log. 0.p50.gif

[Scott Card]

This is a fun page too. You can see the past year, compare years...etc. I would post a picture but it is an interactive page.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/09405500/

[rockgremlin]

This is a fun page too. You can see the past year, compare years...etc. I would post a picture but it is an interactive page.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/09405500/


This is a great link! The format is much sexier and user friendly than any of the others.

[nkanarik]

The sign says upstream...My plan was for downstream :naughty:
Anyhow...seems like I'm going to do Spry instead, not a bad fallback option :2thumbs:

One more question...I plan on taking some canyoneering newbies to Water Canyon (which I have done in the past)...anything I should be concerned about due to snow melt / wet spring?

[ratagonia]

The sign says upstream...My plan was for downstream :naughty:
Anyhow...seems like I'm going to do Spry instead, not a bad fallback option :2thumbs:

One more question...I plan on taking some canyoneering newbies to Water Canyon (which I have done in the past)...anything I should be concerned about due to snow melt / wet spring?

You mean like, you will be rappelling in waterfalls, next to waterfalls, etc. You'll be using contingency anchors, etc. Longest rap in there is 165'... The water flowing is snowmelt, so it tends to be cold.

How's your Class-C skillset?

Tom

[ratagonia]

If it got 10 degrees colder, maybe the melt off would slow down and the Narrows could be open...

Tom

[ratagonia]

It has been cold, the melt off has been slow. And we have had a bunch of rain, which I think gets trapped in the snow up high, adding to the water content. Crazy year.

[jman]

It has been cold, the melt off has been slow. And we have had a bunch of rain, which I think gets trapped in the snow up high, adding to the water content. Crazy year.

Yesh! It’s been a wild year down there for sure. It’s fun looking at those trends foe the previous years and comparing them to this year.

Right now in 2019: above 500 CFS
Right now in 2018: nearly 60 CFS

And the snowmelt has a good 25-35+ days of snow melt to go.

We (Bogley, CC...whoever) should do a bet to a guess when the Narrows opens this year...free prize? Kinda fun?




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