Winds veered from the south to northwest this morning and are intensifying, drifting accumulating fresh snow into upper and mid elevation avalanche starting zones. Rapid accumulation of new snow, wind drifted snow, and widespread buried persistent weak layers are creating very dangerous avalanche conditions in the backcountry. At low elevations, the loose faceted snow near the ground was dampened by Thursday's rain, and we found unstable conditions, cooler weather solidified things a bit and increased stability, but there are many slopes with poor snow structure.
The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 4 inches of new snow early this morning, with .3" SWE. It's 27º F this morning and there's 64" of total snow containing 95% of average SWE for the date. I'm reading 20º F at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and northwest winds are currently averaging around 20 mph and gusting to 51 mph from the south early this morning.
A potent winter storm system impact the area today and exit by midday Tuesday. A weak weather disturbances embedded in a moist northwest flow will impact mainly northern Utah and southwest Wyoming late Wednesday through Thursday ahead of a building ridge for the end of the week. Today we'll see snow, with 5 to 9 inches possible, temperatures at 8500' will drop to around 14º F, and north-northwest winds will continue to intensify, with 26 to 36 mph winds and gusts around 55 mph.
-A backcountry skier was buried by and avalanche and killed near Fairview late Thursday. Search and rescue teams from Emery and Sanpete County recovered his body yesterday near Electric Lake on the Manti Skyline. Preliminary report
HERE.
-Natural avalanches were widespread across the Logan Zone, but they're covered up by fresh snow now so not so obvious. Natural avalanches of note observed yesterday include somewhat blown-in evidence of large hard slab avalanches in Wood Camp, Tab Hollow, and Logan Dry Canyon.
Eric caught a view of this large natural avalanche in Logan Dry, just as it was hit by the last rays of sunlight.
Please report backcountry avalanche activity in the Logan Zone if you see any today....