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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

CONSIDERABLE: Heavy snowfall and strong southwest winds will cause rising avalanche danger in the backcountry today. Beware of large unstable cornices and slopes overloaded by wind drifted snow. Drifting will cause the danger to continue to rise overnight, the danger could rise to HIGH in some areas, and natural avalanches will become increasingly possible.

  • Make conservative decisions and evaluate snow and terrain carefully.

  • Avoid and stay out from under large ridge-top cornices and steep slopes with recent or previous deposits of wind drifted snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2

    Heightened conditions exist already this morning on drifted upper and mid-elevation slopes, and the danger will increase and become more widespread as new snow accumulates and is drifted into avalanche starting zones. Human triggered avalanches, 1 to 3 feet deep and large cornice falls will become increasingly likely today. Cornices are likely to break much further back than expected and could be quite large. You could encounter fresh, soft wind slabs or stiff harder old drifts that allow you to get out on them before releasing. Avalanches and cornice falls are most likely at upper elevations on slopes facing northwest, north, northeast, and east, but possible on many upper and mid elevation slopes.

    • Avoid wind drifted snow on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features like sub-ridges, scoops, stringers, cliff bands, and gullies.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    3

    Dangerous human triggered avalanches consisting of wind drifted snow and failing on a buried persistent weak layer will become more likely. Frost or feathery surface hoar and thick and thinner layers of small-grained near surface facets plagued the snow surface on many slopes before the Superbowl Storm. These are notorious persistent weak layers, and in some areas were buried intact, so the danger of avalanches failing on one will linger for a while.

    Recent storms added a good deal of weight to slopes with poor snow structure and increased the danger of avalanches failing on a deeper persistent weak layer. Buried layers of loose, sugary, faceted snow have been reactivated in some areas. Potential for significant accumulations of SWE in the next few days could add quite a bit more weight to the slab overloading the buried weak snow. Dangerous, 2 to 4-foot-deep hard slab avalanches are possible for people to trigger, especially on steep, recently drifted slopes with poor snow structure.

    • It is possible to trigger a deep hard slab avalanche from a thin area of the slab.
    • In some areas you could trigger avalanches remotely or from a distance.

    These loose faceted snow crystals are lurking in the lower snowpack on a west facing slope near Beaver Mountain, 2/10/19

Additional Info

I will update this forecast tomorrow morning.

Here is a briefing about the incoming storm.

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 and USU Outdoor Program for helping us to make this possible.

Recent Activity

A snowmobile rider was buried and killed Thursday Evening in a large avalanche east of Beaver, UT near Circleville Mountain. Report is.....HERE

A rider was buried and killed on Saturday in the Chalk Creek Area of the Western Uintas, northeast of Coalville. Preliminary Report is HERE

Yesterday I could see evidence of natural wind slab and cornice fall activity on several of the east facing slopes in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness. I also spied a large recent natural hard slab avalanche that ran on a buried persistent week layer in upper Mill Hollow in the Logan Peak / Folly Saddle

Friday, heli-ski guides remote triggered a large hard slab avalanche failing on a buried persistent weak layer near the ground in the southern Bear River Range. The avalanche was on a northwest facing slope at around 8400' in elevation... report is HERE

Snow and Weather

Heightened avalanche conditions exist on drifted upper and mid-elevation slopes this morning, and heavy snowfall and strong southwest winds will cause dangerous conditions to develop today in some areas. You can find nice snow and safer conditions at lower elevations, in sheltered terrain, and on lower angled slopes. Accumulating snow and strong winds will continue in the mountains through the work week, and the avalanche danger will continue to rise in the backcountry.

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports an inch of light snow in the last 24 hours. It's 23º F this morning and there's 71" of total snow containing 96% of average SWE for the date. It's 16º F, at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station. Southwest winds are currently averaging around 35 mph, with a recent 57 mph gust.

A series of storms will begin across the area today and continue through early next week. Expect snow today in the Logan Zone, with 6 to 10 inches of accumulation possible. High temperatures at 8500' expected to be around 30º F, and 26 to 29 mph southwest winds, with gusts around 45 mph. Tonight 4 to 8 inches of accumulation possible, temperatures will be around 29º F, and expect 23 to 29 mph west-southwest wind with gusts of around 43 mph. It'll snow tomorrow, with 3 to 5 inches, high temperatures around 34º F and 18 to 21 mph south-southwest winds.

General Announcements

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

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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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