Avalanche forecast

Logan

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Highlights

MODERATE: After a night with above freezing temperatures at all stations, very warm daytime temperatures and strong Spring sun today will create heightened wet avalanche conditions. Wet loose avalanches entraining melt-softened saturated surface snow are possible at all elevations. CONSIDERABLE danger may develop during the heat of the day on steep slopes with poor snow structure at lower elevations, and destructive natural wet slab avalanches may occur. It is also still possible for people to trigger 1 to 2 foot deep wind slab avalanches failing on a buried persistent weak layer on northerly facing upper elevation slopes. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2

    Temperatures at all stations stayed above freezing last night, and saturated snow did not refreeze well. Very warm temperatures are expected today and rapid warming from the strong March sun will create heightened wet avalanche conditions on many slopes and at all elevations. Natural wet loose avalanches are possible on slopes with saturated surface snow, and some of these will entrain large piles of heavy debris on sustained slopes. Destructive natural wet slab avalanches are possible at lower and mid elevations on steep slopes with melt softened snow and poor snow structure.

    • Avoid being on or under steep slopes with sun warmed, melt-softened, saturated, or sticky snow, and stay out of possible runout gullies.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    Special caution is needed on upper elevation slopes facing the north half of the compass, where a shallowly buried persistent weak layer of weak sugary surface snow or surface hoar may exist. Avalanches of wind drifted snow, 1 to 2 feet deep, are possible for people to trigger at upper elevations, and these could travel fast and far in places. Some avalanches failing on a buried persistent weak layer could be triggered remotely or from a distance.

    • Use caution in upper elevation areas where drifts form, like on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features like sub-ridges, gullies, scoops, tree stringers, and cliff bands.
    • Stay off and out from under large ridge top cornices, which are likely to break further back than expected and could trigger avalanches on steep slopes below.

Special Announcement

We need your help. In an effort to increase awareness and prevent future fatalities we need to reach more people with our daily avalanche forecasts, expand the Know Before You Go program, and increase the number of on-snow avalanche courses. Please consider a donation to the UAC to help us raise $25,000 by April 8. Show your support of the UAC by making a donation at https://utahavalanchecenter.org/donate

Recent Activity

It was active in the backcountry on Monday, with riders triggering numerous wind and soft slab avalanches in the Central Bear River Range and widespread natural wet loose avalanches in sunny terrain. Cloud cover and wind helped to limit the wet activity yesterday, but a large and destructive wet avalanche was observed crossing the Crimson Trail and snapping trees Near Spring Hollow in Lower Logan Canyon.

One of many rider triggered avalanches from the Tony Grove Area on 3/25/19

Natural wet loose avalanches were widespread on sunny slopes on Monday. Fewer occurred yesterday due to cooling from cloud cover and a breeze.

  • A skier was caught, carried, and mostly buried while skinning up a drifted slope near Perry Reservoir on Monday, 3/25/19. Report is HERE
  • Saturday, 3/23/19, a skier triggered a scary 1 to 2 foot deep and 150' wide avalanche running on a buried persistent weak layer near Danish Pass. The avalanche ran on a 32 degree, north-northeast facing slope at around 8800' in elevation. Report is HERE

Snow and Weather

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 35 ºF this morning and there is 85" of total snow with 102% of average SWE for the date. It's 32 ºF at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and south winds are currently averaging around 25 mph. It will be warm again and heightened avalanche conditions exist at all elevations in the backcountry today.

A dry and mild southwesterly flow will prevail across the region through today. The next series of weather disturbances to impact Utah will begin late tonight and continue through Friday night. It will be mostly sunny and increasingly warm in the mountains today, with high temperatures at 9000' expected be around 44 ºF, with 11 to 15 mph south wind. Snow is likely tonight with a low temperature around 21º F, and increasing 15-25 mph south winds. It will snow tomorrow morning, with 1 to 3 inches possible, 36 ºF high temperatures expected at 8500', and 10 to 16 mph west wind.

Additional Info

I will update this forecast Friday morning.

General Announcements

The new weather station at the WSU Bloomington Canyon Yurt is up and running. Data available HERE

Now is a great time to practice companion rescue techniques with your backcountry partners. You should check out and use the new Avalanche Beacon Training Park we set up at the Franklin Basin trailhead. Special thanks to Northstars Ultimate Outdoors, USU Outdoor Program, and Beaver Mountain Ski Patrol for helping us to make this possible.

The Beaver Mountain Backside is the backcountry, and it is avalanche terrain. Same goes for the steep rocky terrain adjacent to Cherry Peak Resort. If you leave a ski area boundary, you and your partners should carry and practice with avalanche rescue equipment and follow safe backcountry travel protocols.

Check out the improved weather links, road conditions, and weather links for each forecast region on the new UAC IOS App. Do you use the NOAA point forecast? If so, now you can bookmark your favorite weather locations in "My Weather" in the App. HERE

Are you new to the backcountry or looking to refresh your skills? The UAC has released a free 5-part avalanche skills eLearning series. HERE

If you would like to get the daily advisory by email you subscribe HERE.

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Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche observations. HERE You can call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your Instagram.

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

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