Dangerous conditions exist on drifted upper elevation slopes, but you can find nice snow and safer conditions at lower elevations, on lower angled slopes, and in sunny or sheltered terrain. We found mostly stable snow and very nice fast shallow powder conditions at lower elevations in Logan Canyon yesterday.
The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 11º F this morning and there's 71" of total snow containing 97% of average SWE for the date. It's 7º F, at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station. South-southeast winds are increasing this morning and are currently averaging around 28 mph, with gust around 40 mph.
A weak storm system will pass through the region today. A second stronger and colder storm system will impact much of Utah Sunday into Sunday night, then continue across northern Utah Monday. The active pattern will continue across the area later in the week as a new storm system crosses the state on Thursday.
The NWS has issued a
Winter Storm Watch for the Utah mountain north of I-80. Today in the Logan Zone, it'll be mostly cloudy in the mountains, with 1 to 3 inches of snow this afternoon. Low temperatures at 8500' expected to be around 24º F, and 11 to 17 mph southeast winds. Wind chill values of -20º F at times! Tonight, temperatures will fall to around 9º F and 16 to 18 mph south-southwest wind will cause wind chills around 8º F below zero. 2 to 4 inches of accumulation is forecast. Snow is likely tomorrow afternoon, with 3 to 5 inches of accumulation possible, high temperatures near 25º F and 18 to 26 mph south southwest winds, with 40 mph gusts.
A snowmobile rider was buried and killed Thursday Evening in a large avalanche east of Beaver, UT near Circleville Mountain. Preliminary Report is.....
HERE
A group of skiers 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 reported to be on a northwest facing slope at around 8400' in elevation...
I could see blown-in and covered up evidence of fairly extensive natural activity in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness, likely from Monday. There was also some fresher activity apparent, involving loose sluffs or soft slabs of wind drifted drifted snow. I caught a glimpse yesterday evening of a large hard slab avalanche on the north side of Logan Peak, that looks to have released on a deeply buried persistent weak layer.
Fresh wind drifted snow avalanche activity in the Wellsville Mt Wilderness was visible from Mendon yesterday.
It has been active in the last few days across the state. Recent avalanche reports are on our avalanche page... HERE