Avalanche forecast

Logan

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avalanche danger is MODERATE on wind-loaded slopes steeper than 30° in upper elevation and westerly-facing mid-elevation terrain, where you could trigger a wind slab 1-2 feet deep. Watch for shooting cracks indicating instability, and avoid hollow-sounding or rounded pillows of snow. East winds are unusual, so look for and avoid wind slabs in unusual places. The danger is LOW in wind-protected areas.

Evaluate snow and terrain carefully, and reconsider your route if it takes you onto or under steep slopes with recent deposits of wind-drifted snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    East winds are always a bit strange for the Logan area. They race across the range, pull snow down towards Cache Valley, and crossload many normally protected slopes. Yesterday, I observed transport down to about 7000', and I'd expect there to be wind slabs in strange places. These slabs are easy to identify and may produce hollow drum-like sounds. Wind-drifted snow is generally stiffer than the surrounding snow.

    • Wind-drifted snow is most likely to be found on the lee side of ridges, near cornices, and around terrain features like cliff bands and gullies.
    • Many slabs may be sensitive and easy to trigger, though hard slabs may release suddenly, similar to Friday’s unintentionally triggered avalanche.
    • Watch for shooting cracks, a clear sign of instability, and be aware that some slabs may trigger remotely.

    East winds roared across the range yesterday, pulling snow downslope and loading unlikely terrain features.

    While the snow is stable on most slopes, a dormant, persistent weak layer near the ground is still a potential problem in isolated or outlying terrain. Recent drifting may overload slopes with poor snow structure, and although unlikely, isolated hard slab avalanches, breaking 2 to 4 feet deep on a persistent weak layer near the ground are possible, and the consequences could be severe. Deep hard slab avalanches are possible in extreme mountain terrain, and rocky, windswept slopes in northerly facing terrain with thin snow cover are suspect.

    Isolated hard slab avalanches might be triggered from a "sweet spot" or a shallower part of the slab.

Special Announcement

Urgent battery replacement is required for anyone who received batteries from one of our participating "Batteries for Beacons" shops. Please review the replacement notice for "Batteries for Beacons" on our blog, HERE. Batteries distributed through our "Batteries for Beacons" program this year are of inadequate length. We apologize and will provide you with new batteries.

Recent Activity

Snow and Weather

If you like wind, then yesterday was your day. Speeds averaged near 25 MPH, with gusts in the 40s MPH all day. Snow was carried far downslope towards Cache Valley, and I expect there are wind slabs in unusual places on the west half of the compass down into mid-elevations. The snow surface has taken a beating, and finding consistent areas with soft snow is challenging. Riding is supportable but bumpy, and you never feel sure whether or not the crust will break. It's not a glowing review, but being out in the mountains is better than not being out in the mountains. Of note - the Logan area mountain's worst avalanche tragedy occurred during a major east wind event.

-The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400 feet reports 7° F, with 57 inches of total snow. At the Card Canyon weather station at 8800 feet, it's 8° F and there is 43 inches of total snow.

-At the CSI Logan Peak weather station at 9700 feet, winds are blowing from the south-southwest around 15 mph with gusts to 22 mph, and it's 5° F,with awindchill of -4° F. On Paris Peak, at 9500 feet, it is 9° F, the winds are blowing from the south at 9 to 13 mph.

Today will be a much nicer day with partly to mostly sunny skies and an 8500' high of 17° F. Winds are expected to blow from the east but only 10 to 15 MPH. Expect sunshine and warming temperatures for the work week. The next chance for snow looks like possibly the beginning of February.

For more information, visit the UAC weather page here: Weather - Utah Avalanche Center

For Logan-specific weather, go here: Logan Mountain Weather - Utah Avalanche Center

General Announcements

-National Forest Winter Recreation Travel Maps show where it's open to ride: UWCNF Logan, Ogden LRD Tony Grove, Franklin Basin CTNF Montpelier

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This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions, and local variations always occur.

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