UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed for
Saturday, January 19, 2019
HIGH: Continue to avoid travel in backcountry avalanche terrain today. Heavy snowfall and drifting from strong winds overloaded slopes with buried persistent weak layers and created very dangerous avalanche conditions in the backcountry. Avalanches could be triggered remotely, from a distance, or below. You can find safer conditions in low angled terrain, but stay off and out from under steep slopes and obvious or historic avalanche runout zones.
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Avalanche Warning
THE FOREST SERVICE UTAH AVALANCHE CENTER IN SALT LAKE CITY HAS CONTINUED A BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE WARNING.
* TIMING...THROUGH 5 AM MST SUNDAY * AFFECTED AREA...THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN UTAH INCLUDING THE BEAR RIVER RANGE, THE WESTERN UINTAS AND ALL OF THE WASATCH RANGE.
* AVALANCHE DANGER...THE AVALANCHE DANGER IS HIGH...HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY ON ALL STEEP SLOPES.
* REASON/IMPACTS...DANGEROUS AVALANCHE CONDITIONS CONTINUE...CREATED BY THE SNOW AND WIND FROM PREVIOUS STORMS.
AVOID BEING ON OR UNDERNEATH STEEP SLOPES.
BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS SHOULD CONSULT WWW.UTAHAVALANCHECENTER.ORG OR CALL 1-888-999-4019 FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.
THIS WARNING DOES NOT APPLY TO SKI AREAS WHERE AVALANCHE HAZARD REDUCTION MEASURES ARE PERFORMED.
Weather and Snow
Southwest winds are intensifying this morning, drifting yesterday's fresh snow into upper and mid elevation avalanche starting zones. Wind drifted snow and widespread buried persistent weak layers are creating HIGH avalanche danger in the backcountry. At low elevations, the faceted snow was dampened byThursday's rain, and we found unstable conditions yesterday.
The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reported 17 inches of new snow yesterday, with 2.4" SWE in the last 48 hours. It's 21º F and there's 64" of total snow containing 96% of average SWE. I'm reading 15º F at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and southwest winds are certainly drifting snow, currently averaging around 30 mph, gusting into the mid 40s.
High pressure aloft will settle over the area this weekend. A new and potent storm system will reach Utah Monday and bring widespread precipitation to the area early in the week. For today, we'll see snow showers, with 2 to 4 additional inches of accumulation possible, a high temperature of 31º F at 8500', and 14 to 20 mph west winds with gusts around 40 mph. Tonight we'll see snow showers and temperatures rising to about 31º F, and 15 to 20 mph south wind.
Recent Avalanches
-The search is resuming this morning for a missing backcountry skier, thought to be buried in an avalanche near Electric Lake, on the Manti Skyline. Preliminary report HERE.
-As you know there have been numerous large avalanches across the region in the past couple days.
-Snow safety teams in Northern Utah in the last couple days have seen the most active period they've seen so far this season.
-Natural avalanches were widespread in the Wellsville Range, but they're covered up by fresh snow now so not so obvious.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The shallow snow near the ground in many areas is loose, sugary, and faceted. Avalanches on buried persistent weak layers could be remote triggered on steep slopes with shallow snow and poor snow structure, you might trigger one from a distance, or below. The weak faceted snow will cause slopes to be unstable with a heavy load and formation of a new slab layer from yesterday's storm. A smaller wind slab avalanche might step down into old snow as it descends and become large and dangerous. The sugary snow will remain weak and many slopes will probably stay unstable for a while.

Here is some December snow, (now well developed facets) I found buried on the west side of Beaver Mountain. The weak sugary snow is stable on most slopes for now, but could easily become unstable again with loading from tomorrow's rather warm and moist looking storm.
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Wind drifted snow is causing very dangerous avalanche conditions in exposed terrain, with triggered and nautral avalanches likely. As drifts are building on slopes with buried persistent weak layers, dangerous avalanche conditions are likely to persist through the weekend and beyond.
Additional Information
I will update this forecast tomorrow morning.
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.
General Announcements
The Beaver Mountain Backside is the backcountry, and it is avalanche terrain. If you cross the ski area boundary, you and your partners should carry and practice with avalanche rescue equipment.
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
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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.