Logan

Happy New Year 2024. The avalanche danger is LOW in the backcountry. Usual caution is recommended, with shallow snow conditions the primary concern.

No avalanches were reported recently in the Logan Zone. Check out local observations and avalanches HERE.

We're finding a mixed bag of conditions, with mostly supportable crusts and bare slopes in sunny terrain, wind-jacked snow surface on exposed slopes, and "loud powder" consisting of recrystallized or faceted snow and glistening feathers of surface hoar in sheltered terrain. Travel in the backcountry is reasonably easy and generally safe on mostly supportable, fast snow. Shallow, early-season conditions exist, and hitting rocks or down trees is a significant consideration. With 92% of normal SWE, the Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 29° F and 40” of total snow. Light winds are blowing from the west < 10 mph, with gusts around 15 mph at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station.

The weather will remain mostly the same as it has been through the middle of the work week, but a change is on the way. A storm will bring snow to the mountains of southern Utah on Thursday and Friday, with some light snow possible in the northern mountains. Confidence is growing that a potentially significant winter storm will impact the mountains of northern Utah and southeastern Idaho later this weekend, with timing and snow amounts still up in the air.

In many areas, the snow on and just under the surface is quite weak, consisting of sugary, near-surface facets, and in many places, it's capped by feathers of surface hoar. When this weak surface snow is buried by a good load of drifted new snow, it will probably become a dangerous buried persistent weak layer.

With a significant storm apparently likely for the coming weekend, we can expect alluring powder conditions as well as a rapid rise in avalanche danger.

Two new weather stations are found in the Logan Zone this season. The Paris Peak Weather Station (available HERE) and the Card Canyon Weather Station (available HERE)

We went up to check on our new Paris Peak weather station on Saturday. It's looking good and working well, giving us real-time weather, including relevant ridgetop wind information. For more information on what we found in the Bloomington Canyon Area last weekend, check out our observation HERE.

• For all questions on forecasts, education, KBYG, events, online purchases, or fundraising: call 801-365-5522.
• To report an avalanche or submit an observation from the backcountry: go HERE

• Read Mark's blog about electromagnetic interference of avalanche transceivers HERE. We will update this forecast on Wednesday before 7:30 AM.

  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.