Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains
Issued by Toby Weed on
Sunday morning, December 13, 2020
Sunday morning, December 13, 2020
Heightened avalanche conditions and MODERATE danger exist on upper and some mid elevation slopes where people could trigger slab avalanches consisting of drifted new snow. The avalanche danger will rise in the backcountry tonight and tomorrow as new snow accumulates and is drifted onto widespread preexisting weak snow.
- Evaluate snow and terrain carefully, and avoid steep drifted slopes.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Special Announcements
The holiday season is right around the corner!! Looking for that special something for your partner?
Well, we've got an easy shopping solution for you ...Buy your gifts at our Pray for Snow online auction and support the UAC in Logan. HERE
Well, we've got an easy shopping solution for you ...Buy your gifts at our Pray for Snow online auction and support the UAC in Logan. HERE
Weather and Snow
About 6 inches of light new snow fell Friday night at upper elevations in the Bear River Range, with moderate westerly winds. Expect increasing clouds today with moderate south winds, mountain temperatures in the lower twenties, and morning wind chill values around -13°F ! Snow is likely tonight, and the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for tonight and tomorrow, with 7 to 11 inches of accumulation possible on upper elevation slopes.
Currently, hitting rocks or other shallowly buried obstacles presents a significant hazard in the backcountry. A few inches of nice light powder now obscures many hazards. Most slopes have less than about 2' of total snow, and a steep temperature gradient is turning the shallow snow into loose sugary or faceted grains. In many places, the weak snow is easy to punch through to the rocks below.
Recent Avalanches
An observer reports easily triggering fresh wind slabs and sluffs of new snow at upper elevations in the Central Bear River Range yesterday. One drift, intentionally triggered, produced a small soft slab avalanche, 30' to 40' wide, running a couple hundred feet. The party found fresh drifts up to about 2 feet deep in exposed terrain.
Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Potential for triggering slab avalanches of drifted new snow exists on steep upper elevation slopes where fresh drifts built up on loose sugary or faceted snow, and people could trigger avalanches. In more sheltered upper elevation terrain, loose sluffs of new snow are possible because the older snow underneath is very weak, faceted, and loose.
- Even a small 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.
Additional Information
Everybody should make time to examine and practice with your avalanche rescue equipment, and convince your backcountry partners to practice with you. Watch our companion rescue video HERE
My tip for avoiding avalanches in the backcountry is to keep your slope angles low. Avoid and stay out from under slopes steeper than about 30 degrees. Get a tool to measure slope angle and practice with it in the backcountry.
General Announcements
Visit this website with information about Responsible Winter Recreation by the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation.
If you missed the 13th Annual Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop, the recordings are available for purchase from the UAC Store. HERE
The Tony Grove Road is not maintained for wheeled vehicles in the winter.
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Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche observations....HERE. You can also call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.
I will update this advisory by around 7:30 tomorrow morning.
This forecast is from the USDA Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. The forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.