Avalanche forecast

Logan

Issued Mar 4, 2026valid to Mar 5, 2026Utah Avalanche Center

Avalanche danger

Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline

Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on slopes steeper than 30 degrees in the backcountry, with dangerous and complex avalanche conditions in mid and upper elevation terrain, and little or no snow down low.

Make conservative choices and evaluate the snow and terrain carefully.

Avalanche problems

Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Likely
Size
4
Avalanche conditions are dangerous in the backcountry. A widespread buried persistent weak layer exists on mid and upper-elevation slopes facing the northern half of the compass. Last week’s storm winds built cohesive slabs over weak, faceted snow, and Monday's storm further overloaded suspect slopes. Any avalanche that breaks into this layer will be large, destructive, and dangerous.

Hard slab avalanches are becoming stubborn and difficult to trigger, but as we saw over the weekend, they require only hitting the right trigger point. A rider or a snowmobile traveling uphill, across the slope, or downhill—especially across a thin or shallow spot in the slab—could cause it to fail. These types of avalanches can propagate widely and may be triggered remotely, or worse, from below. Hard wind slabs can be tricky; sometimes, allowing a person to get well out on them before suddenly releasing.

Watch for and avoid smooth, rounded, drum-like drifts near ridgelines, sub-ridges, rock outcrops, gully walls, and rollovers. Collapsing and shooting cracks indicate instability—but may not always be present.
Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Likely
Size
2
People are still likely to trigger slab avalanches of wind-drifted storm snow today, as heavy new snow at upper elevations was drifted onto steep slopes.

Avalanches of wind-drifted snow could step down into the January persistent weak layer and be large and dangerous.

A small avalanche running over a slope with poor snow structure could cause a larger, more dangerous hard slab avalanche to fail on a persistent weak layer buried up to three feet deep.
Loose Wet
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Likely
Size
2
Natural and human-triggered loose wet avalanches are likely again today as temperatures soar, especially in sunny terrain.

Recent Activity

In the Wasatch Mountains, avalanches have killed four people recently in separate accidents. We've released our final report on last Sunday's tragic Caribou Basin Accident (2-22-26). Our heartfelt condolences go out to the affected family, friends, rescuers, and community members. Thank you to everyone involved for sharing information.

*Over the weekend in the Logan Zone, riders triggered large and dangerous hard slab avalanches. These hard slab avalanches of previously wind-drifted snow are exactly the type of avalanche you could trigger today:

An observer's crew came across and searched a freshly triggered avalanche on Friday, February 27, near the Naomi Trail on an east-facing slope around 8900'.
On Sunday, March 1, a rider was caught and carried, and their sled rolled by a 3-foot deep and 50-foot wide hard slab avalanche under a cliff band on a north-facing slope at around 8700 feet in elevation. The video below includes both avalanches

Huge thanks to the riders that shared information, photos, and videos. This information may well save lives.... For all observations and avalanche activity in the Logan Zone, go HERE.

Snow and Weather

There is very little snow left below about 7000 feet in elevation, but in higher elevations, avalanche conditions are complex, with several avalanche problems. People are likely to trigger wind slab avalanches today on recently drifted northwest through southeast-facing slopes at upper elevations, natural loose wet avalanches are possible in sunny terrain, and there's still a good chance of dangerous hard slab avalanches that propagate widely, failing on a widespread, persistent weak layer buried up to three feet deep.

Monday's storm overproduced; about a foot of very wet new snow accumulated on upper-elevation slopes, and Moderate winds drifted the new snow right into avalanche starting zones at upper elevations. The storm continued to build a strengthening slab layer overloading slopes with poor snow structure and fragile, buried persistent weak layers. Yesterday in the Central Bear River Range, we observed numerous natural loose wet avalanches on sunny slopes entraining the wet new snow, and some of these were pretty big. We found nice powder riding, even in the afternoon, on north-facing slopes. In sunny meadows, the surfy snow made for fun riding, and we stayed off and well out from under the steep hills (slopes steeper than 30 degrees).

The UAC Card Canyon weather station at 8700 feet reports 26°F with 62 inches of total snow. The Tony Grove Snotel, located at 8400 feet, reports 10 inches of heavy new snow from Monday and Monday night, containing 1.7 inches of SWE (snow water equivalent). It's 28°F, and there's 74 inches of total snow. At 9700 feet on Logan Peak, winds are blowing from the south-southwest at 25 to 30 mph. It's 22°F on Paris Peak at 9500 feet, and the wind, from the south-southwest, is blowing 18 to 22 mph.

It will be mostly sunny in the mountains today, with a high temperature near 40°F at 8500 feet. Expect increasing clouds and winds out of the south-southwest as the next storm system moves into the area, with snow possible in the evening. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for our area, beginning late tonight and extending through Friday afternoon. This time, it looks like the central Utah mountains will do better, and accumulations in the Bear River Range will be fairly light, with 3 to 7 inches of accumulation possible by Thursday. Snow is also likely on Friday, with a couple more inches possible.

Additional Info

Travel with a partner, and cross or ride slopes steeper than 30 degrees one at a time while the rest of your group watches from a safe spot.
Ensure that everyone in the group has avalanche rescue equipment (a transceiver, probe, and shovel) and knows how to use it.

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With complex and dangerous avalanche conditions across the Bear River Mountains, your safest choice is still to stay off and away from steep hills. If you choose to travel in avalanche terrain, follow safe travel protocols by exposing only one person at a time. The video below is about last Friday's Naomi Trail Avalanche.

Join the UAC for the first "Stay and Play Avalanche Course" at Bear River Lodge in the Uintas, March 19th-22nd. This course is designed for snowmobilers by snowmobilers, where you will learn avalanche rescue, riding skills, and how to survive in the backcountry. Come enjoy all the luxury offerings at Bear River Lodge and improve your skills along the way.

For all questions on forecasts, education, Know Before You Go, events, online purchases, or fundraising, call 801-365-5522.

Did you know the UAC hosts a podcast? Episode 2 of Season IX is just out - AI, Machine Learning, and the Value of Expert Intuition at the Utah Avalanche Center.

Are you interested in learning more about avalanches? Visit our education page for details on all our classes.

For more information, visit the UAC weather page here: UAC Weather Page For Logan-specific weather, go here: Logan Mountain Weather

-Remember, the information you provide could save lives, especially if you see or trigger an avalanche. To report an avalanche or submit an observation from the backcountry, go HERE

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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.

General Announcements

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This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. 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.

Observations and Avalanches

Backcountry Emergency Procedures