Yesterday a snowmobiler was buried by an avalanche in the La Sal Mountains of southeastern Utah. Members of his party were unable to locate him. Search and rescue personnel will continue the search this morning. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
It's been about a week since we've seen natural avalanche activity in the Logan Zone and no new avalanches were reported this week. Drifting from west and northwest winds created heightened conditions on some upper and mid elevation slopes, and you might trigger small avalanches consisting of wind drifted snow. Dangerous hard slab avalanches failing on a persistent weak layer are gradually becoming less likely for people to trigger. Stability has also improved on lower elevation slopes, where cold temperatures solidified rain-saturated snow. We found nice shallow powder and stable conditions in sheltered areas, on lower angled slopes, and at lower elevations. Warming and periods of sun this weekend may create heightened wet avalanche conditions on steep sunny slopes.
The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 20º F this morning and there's 60" of total snow containing 92% of average SWE for the date. It's 14º F, at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and northwest winds are currently averaging around 33 mph, with gusts in the mid 40s.
A series of weak storm systems will move through the Logan Zone, bringing periods of minor mountain snow accumulations and temperatures near seasonal normals. Today it'll be mostly cloudy in the mountains, high temperatures at 8500' around 29º F, and 15 to 20 mph north-northwest winds. Tonight will be partly cloudy, with low temperatures around 18º F, and 10 to 15 mph north-northwest wind. Tomorrow will be partly sunny, with temperature around 32º F, and 10 to 15 mph west-northwest wind, increasing in the afternoon.
-A backcountry skier was buried by an avalanche and killed near Fairview late Thursday, 1/18/19. Search and rescue teams from Emery and Sanpete County recovered his body Friday near Electric Lake on the Manti Skyline. Preliminary report is
HERE.
-Natural avalanches were widespread across the Logan Zone late last week, but they're covered up by fresh snow now so not so obvious. Natural avalanches of note include somewhat blown-in evidence of large hard slab avalanches on many paths in the Wellsville Range, and in the Bear River Range, including big ones in Wood Camp, Tab Hollow, Logan Dry Canyon, and Castle Rock near Naomi Peak.
I could see evidence of a large hard slab avalanche in off the Beirdneau Ridge in Tab Hollow.
A large natural avalanche on Oscar Mayer in Logan Dry Canyon as viewed from North Logan on 1/22/19
