Avalanche forecast

Logan

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Highlights

The overall avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE in the Logan Zone, with dangerous avalanche conditions on many slopes. Large and destructive natural avalanches are possible, and people are likely to trigger deadly avalanches on slopes steeper than 30°, especially on northerly-facing slopes. Areas with HIGH danger may linger on drifted upper elevation slopes facing northwest through southeast.

Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making are required. People should avoid being on or beneath drifted slopes steeper than 30°.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    3

    Very weak faceted snow exists near the ground on almost all northerly-facing slopes at upper and mid-elevations. Other persistent weak layers have also been observed higher in the snowpack. Large and dangerous avalanches failing on the PWL are likely on drifted slopes steeper than 30°, and possible even in sheltered terrain.

    • Recent avalanches, shooting cracks, and collapsing (whumpfs) are signs of unstable snow but may not always be present.
    • Avalanches today could be triggered remotely (from a distance) or from below.
    • Large natural avalanches may still be likely today as the new heavy dense snow sits atop a buried layer of weak, sugary, faceted snow from earlier in the season.

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2

    Finally, after cranking for days now, the winds have calmed down. The strong westerly winds created slabs of wind-drifted snow in exposed terrain. These drifts may allow you to get out onto them before releasing and may offer no signs of instability like cracking. freshly formed, thick, and heavy wind slabs now overload slopes with poor snow structure.

    • Avalanches of wind-drifted snow are most likely on the lee side of major ridges.
    • Drifting has formed wind slabs in exposed terrain and in and around terrain features like cliff bands, sub-ridges, gullies, and scoops.
    • In some cases, wind slabs may be just waiting for a trigger.
    • Larger avalanches stepping down to the widespread buried persistent weak layer are possible.

Special Announcement

Now is a great time to dial in your safety gear including putting fresh new batteries in your beacons! Local shops across the state will be handing out free Batteries for Beacons now until February 1, 2025. All you need to do is fill out a quick survey and grab the AAA or AA batteries you need to keep your beacon fresh this season. Find participating shops and more info HERE.

Recent Activity

- On Christmas Eve, two local riders (brothers) had a close call with a large avalanche in Steep Hollow. The 2-foot-deep and 700-foot-wide avalanche occurred on a northeast-facing slope at around 9000 feet in elevation. The accident report is HERE.

- On Saturday, we remotely triggered an avalanche of drifted storm snow from a lower-angled adjacent slope, highlighting the fragile nature of the snowpack. Video HERE

- Large natural avalanches were observed north of the State Line near Bloomington Lake and just north of Wilderness Peak.

- Sunday, I saw evidence of a widespread natural cycle in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness. I was able to confirm this yesterday. Large avalanches occurred in NE and E-facing terrain, some quite broad and long-running. A very large avalanche occurred in Pine Canyon, with a crown pushing 1/2 mile wide (estimate based on map measurement), running around 2500 vrt'. A large crown from a recent avalanche was visible on the shoulder of the Wellsville Cone (photo below)

- You can read all recent local observations HERE.

A crown from a recent natural avalanche on the shoulder of Wellsville Cone was visible from across Cache Valley on 12-30-2024.

Snow and Weather

We stayed out of avalanche terrain yesterday, off of and out from under steep slopes, and found excellent powder riding conditions in the big meadows up in Franklin Basin. The snow is supportable enough to float a sled in most places, but it's still pretty shallow. We did not hit any rocks, but there are still plenty of shallowly buried land mines out there.

About two feet of very heavy snow accumulated in upper elevation terrain across the Logan Zone, with much deeper drifts observed in upper elevation lee-slope deposition areas The Tony Grove Snotel has now picked up 5.7 inches of SWE (snow water equivalent) since Christmas! The heavy snow has become a stout slab layer capping widespread poor structure from earlier in the season. The mountain snowpack is gradually adjusting to the weight, but large, destructive natural avalanches remain possible, and dangerous human-triggered avalanches are likely. Much colder temperatures have set up the rain-saturated snow down low and greatly reduced the threat of wet avalanches. After all the rain, southerly low-elevation slopes are bare of snow or have only minimal snow cover.

People should continue to stay off of and out from under drifted slopes steeper than 30°, as avalanches can be triggered remotely (from a distance) or from below.

-The 8400' Tony Grove Snotel reports 1" of snow from yesterday afternoon. It's 12° F, with 57 inches of total snow.

-Winds on Logan Peak are blowing from the northwest 15 to 25 mph, and it's 6° F. Currently, the wind chill value is -13° F.

-It's 8° F at 8800 feet at our Card Canyon station, with about 1.5 inches of new snow and 42 inches total.

-On Paris Peak at 9500 feet in Bloomington Canyon, it is 6° F and the winds are lightly blowing 4 to 9 mph from the north.

Expect partly cloudy skies with fairly cold temperatures in the mountains, with 8500' high temperatures around 18° F. Light winds will blow from the northwest. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 8° F. Some snow is possible, with less than an inch of accumulation expected. Snow is in the forecast for New Years Day, with 3 to 7 inches possible and mountain temperatures around 20° F.

The weather pattern will remain active through the weekend and into next week, with another round of heavier snow possible Friday night and Saturday.

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

Additional Info

We found great powder riding in the safe low-angle meadows in Franklin Basin north of the State Line, but the snowpack structure is pretty bad.

On Saturday we remotely triggered a large Avalanche above the Tony Grove Campground. The video is HERE

The crown of a remotely triggered avalanche near Tony Grove Lake.

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

-Sign up for forecast region-specific text message alerts. You will receive messages about changing avalanche conditions, watches, and warnings...HERE.

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

-To report an avalanche or submit an observation from the backcountry, go HERE.

-Remember, even though the gate is still open, the Tony Grove Road is not maintained for winter driving.

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.

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