Avalanche forecast

Logan

Utah Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Warm temperatures and strong sun will elevate wet avalanche conditions at all elevations today. The danger is MODERATE this morning but will rise to CONSIDERABLE during the day on many slopesas temperatures rapidly warm. Natural, long running, wet avalanches are possible, and people are likely to trigger wet loose or wet slab avalanches on steep slopes with saturated snow. Large cornice falls are possible in upper-elevation terrain.

Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully.

  • Avoid overhanging cornices as they could break further back than expected and could cause an avalanche on the slope below.
  • Get an early start and finish the day early. If you start sinking into saturated snow, it's time to pull the plug, reevaluate your route, or change your location.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2

    Daytime warming and sunshine will cause the snow on solar slopes to become unstable. Natural wet loose and slab avalanches will become increasingly likely as temperatures rise significantly this week.

    • Watch for rollerballs and pinwheels as signs of instability.
    • If you sink up to your ankles in the mushy snow, it is time to move to a cooler aspect or elevation or simply to lower-angle terrain.
    • Stay out from under the large cornices, as the heat will cause them to buckle and some to calve off large, school bus-sized chunks.

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    3
    • People should stay off of, out from under, and well away from the edges of large overhanging cornices, which are deceptive and often break much further back than expected.
    • With daytime heating, natural and human-triggered cornice falls are possible today, and these could trigger avalanches on slopes beneath.

Special Announcement

Our Spring Campaign is in full swing, and there are two great ways to support forecasting, awareness, and education across Utah:

Every dollar helps keep the backcountry community on top. Thank you for your support!

Recent Activity

Yesterday in the late morning, I could see a recent natural slab avalanche in Pine Canyon in the Wellsville Mt Wilderness. From a distance, I estimated the avalanche at around 8800 feet on an ENE-facing slope to be about 3 feet deep and 200 feet wide. Although I am unsure if it was a wet slab, it was probably heat-related. There were several other wet loose avalanches and roller-ball swarms visible from Cache Valley yesterday afternoon. Folly Ax report. Read about all avalanches and observations HERE.

Snow and Weather

Very warm mountain temperatures and blow-dryer winds are quickly melting off the low-elevation snow. Many solar slopes at low and mid elevations have already burnt off, and you have to travel over rocks and mud to access the snow from many of our lower trailheads. Yesterday, the warming daytime temperatures rapidly turned the surface snow to slush at all elevations, spawning some natural avalanche activity.

After another night with well above freezing temperatures at all stations and a poor surface refreeze, we expect mountain temperatures to be several degrees warmer today, with plenty of direct sun. The danger of wet avalanches will rise rapidly with the temperatures again today. Large natural cornice falls are possible up high near the major ridgetops, mainly topping slopes facing northwest through southeast, and these could trigger large wet avalanches on slopes beneath.

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400 feet reports 96 inches of total snow. It's way too warm; 41°F this morning, and temperatures stayed about 10 degrees above freezing overnight. It's 45° F at the Card Canyon weather station at 8800 feet, with 72 inches of total snow.

At 9700 feet at CSI's Logan Peak Wx station, winds are blowing 20 to 25 mph from the south-southwest, and it's 41° F. The winds on Paris Peak at 9500 feet are blowing 7 to 11 mph from the south-southwest, and it's 40° F.

Today will be sunny with a high temperature at 9000 feet near 56° F. Winds will blow from the southwest around 10 mph. Skies will be mostly clear tonight (which will help cool the snow surface), with low temperatures around 39° F and wind blowing from the south 9 to 14 mph. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny, with a high temperature around 55° F and 10 to 20 mph winds with gusts in the 30s blowing from the southwest.

Mountain temperatures will cool off, and clouds will move overhead, with a chance for snow (or rain) showers late Thursday and Friday. Snow showers are expected in the mountains over the weekend, with a few inches of accumulation possible, and temperatures will drop into the mid-20s on Saturday night.

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

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

-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.

-Receive forecast region-specific text message alerts to receive messages about changing avalanche conditions, watches, and warnings. Sign up and update your preferences HERE.

-We are excited to announce the launch of our new mobile application available on both Android and IOS. Get all the information you need to plan your backcountry adventure and keep the information at the tip of your fingers while you are out. Install the Android version HERE and the IOS version HERE.

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.

Regions covered