Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains
Issued by Toby Weed on
Friday morning, November 13, 2020
Friday morning, November 13, 2020
Drifting from sustained south-southwest winds overnight created heightened avalanche conditions and MODERATE danger on some upper elevation slopes. People could trigger small avalanches of recently wind drifted snow. Avalanches are unlikely on most slopes this morning, but a powerful winter storm will likely cause the danger to rise over the weekend.
As snow starts to accumulate in the backcountry, it’s a good idea to tone it down because it’s pretty easy to get hurt in shallow snow, and it’s absolutely the worst time to do so because you could ruin your whole season.
- Avoid going too fast, maintain control, and be conservative.
- Stick to smooth, grassy, low-angled slopes.
- Stay off steep slopes. Even a very small, early season avalanche can be very dangerous if you are caught carried over rocks or raked through bushes and stumps.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
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Weather and Snow
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning from Friday afternoon through Saturday, with significant snowfall and strong winds anticipated for most of the mountains in northern Utah. Plenty of new snow and wind drifting will create heightened avalanche conditions on steep mountain slopes, and people could trigger dangerous avalanches consisting of drifted new snow.
Yesterday, we found a bit more than a foot of new snow covering up the rocks, with no old snow at all before last weekend's storm. The forecast calls for 12 to 20 inches of accumulation on upper elevation slopes this weekend, and we expect some fairly significant drifting, with southerly winds today, veering from the northwest tomorrow.
This week's snow is accumulating on bare ground after a warm and dry October. There is no base, and the biggest risk for early backcountry travelers will be hitting rocks and other shallowly buried obstacles.
There is not yet enough snow to cause much risk of avalanches on most slopes now, but shallow, early season snow conditions can still be quite dangerous. Just in the past week, shallowly buried rocks are to blame for the tragic death of a Bozman woman who died while skiing a steep chute in the Montana backcountry (info here). Also, for that of a British Columbia snowboarder who was killed by head trauma in a “freak backcountry accident” while skiing on his splitboard in relatively flat, rolling terrain. He was found with his helmet off his head and on his backpack (info here).
Recent Avalanches
Please report what you are seeing out there, especially any new avalanche activity.
Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Small avalanches of fresh wind drifted snow are possible on steep upper elevation slopes, most likely on slopes facing the eastern half of the compass. Even a small wind slab avalanche could be very dangerous due to shallow early season snow conditions. You do not want to get caught and carried over rocks or strained through bushes and stumps, so it's best to avoid travel on all steep drifted slopes.