West-southwest winds are calming a bit in the mountains and temperatures at lower elevations are slowly dropping, but very dangerous avalanche conditions exist in the backcountry today, and you should continue to avoid travel in avalanche terrain at all elevations.
The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports another foot or so of heavy snow, with 1.3" SWE in the last 24 hours and 3.7" in the last 48. Temperatures cooled to 23º F this morning and there's 87" of total snow containing 108% of average SWE for the date. It's 17º F, at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station. West-southwest winds are diminishing a bit, currently averaging around 20 mph, with a recent 47 mph gust.
A strong cold front will sweep through the region tonight, followed by cold and unsettled weather during the weekend and into early next week. Expect snow this afternoon in the Logan Zone, with 3 to 7 inches of accumulation possible at upper elevations. High temperatures at 8500' expected to be around 26º F, with 15-20 mph southwest winds, increasing in the afternoon. Tonight 3 to 7 inches of accumulation is possible, temperatures will be around 9º F, with 10 to 20 mph west-northwest winds. Snow will continue tomorrow, with 1 or 2 inches, high temperatures around 20º F, and 15 mph west winds.
Numerous natural avalanches involving heavy, drifted, and rain-saturated snow were observed yesterday on slopes facing all directions and down to about 5400' in elevation.
- Snowboard riders report easily triggering a few soft slab avalanches involving heavy new snow on the Beaver Mountain Backside yesterday. Remember the Backside is the backcountry. Nobody does avalanche control, and you could certainly trigger dangerous avalanches.
- Friday, heli-ski guides remote triggered a large hard slab avalanche failing on a buried persistent weak layer near the ground in the southern Bear River Range. The avalanche was on a northwest facing slope at around 8400' in elevation..
- On Tuesday I could see evidence of a recent large and deep natural hard slab avalanche in upper Mill Hollow on a mostly north facing slope at around 8900' in elevation.
Avalanches are dangerous, and sadly there have been four people killed in Utah in the past few weeks. For more info go...
HERE There have also been numerous close calls and natural avalanches. Our list is
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