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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed for
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Dangerous avalanche conditions and CONSIDERABLE danger exist at upper and mid elevations on drifted slopes facing northwest through east. People are likely trigger dangerous 1 to 2 foot deep slab avalanches failing on a buried persistent weak layer of faceted snow. Human triggered wind slab avalanches are possible on drifted upper and mid elevation slopes steeper than 30°. High angled sun and midday warmth will cause potential for loose wet avalanches of saturated surface snow in sheltered sunny terrain.
  • Continue to avoid and stay out from under drifted slopes steeper than 30°, especially those facing the north half of the compass.
  • Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision making are essential.
Low
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Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
Thanks to the generous support of our local resorts and Ski Utah, discount lift tickets are now available. Support the UAC while you ski at the resorts this season. Tickets are available HERE.
Weather and Snow
Increasing southwest winds this morning are likely to pick up yesterday's powder and drift it around. Although breezy, nice, mostly sunny weather is expected in the mountains again today. With areas of unstable snow and dangerous avalanche conditions in the backcountry, the table is set for potential avalanche accidents. Last week, copious heavy snow overloaded slopes with buried persistent weak layers consisting of sugary faceted snow, and additional accumulation and drifting from Sunday's storm added weight and depth to a developing slab layer. Dangerous avalanche conditions exist on drifted upper and mid elevation slopes, and people could trigger dangerous avalanches today if they venture into steep terrain.
The 8400' Tony Grove Snotel reports 26°F, and here is 76 inches of total snow at the site, containing 85% of normal SWE for the date. Winds increased overnight, veering from the southwest, and are blowing about 35 mph this morning at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station.
  • Expect mostly sunny skies, with increasing clouds, midday temperatures, and southwest winds today in the mountains. Expect high temperatures at 8500' around 38°F, with increasing south-southwest winds. Snow showers are likely this afternoon, with about an inch of accumulation possible.
  • Expect some snow tonight, with 2 to 4 inches of accumulation possible, low temperatures around 20°F, and continuing southwest winds.
  • Mostly cloudy skies are expected tomorrow, with steady temperatures around 27°F, and blustery 11 to 17 mph west-northwest winds.
  • Unsettled spring weather is expected to continue through the week, with some clouds and increadsingly warm daytime temperatures.
Recent Avalanches
  • Saturday, skiers triggered a couple sizable soft slab avalanches on the Millville Face in Providence Canyon. The avalanches at around 8600' in elevation on a north facing slope failed on a sugary persistent weak layer. The largest was 12 to 20" deep and around 300' wide.
  • Friday afternoon, a skier was caught and carried around 200' by an avalanche on a southeast facing slope at around 8000' in Rattlesnake Canyon in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness
The skier who triggered this avalanche yesterday was going so fast they did not even know they had triggered the avalanche until down on the flats at the pick up zone.
A skier deployed his airbag when caught and carried around 200' late Friday afternoon by this avalanche in upper Rattlesnake Canyon in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness.
Check out all the recent backcountry observations and many recent avalanche reports from across Utah HERE
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Last week's heavy snow created a more cohesive slab on widespread preexisting layers of very weak faceted snow. In many areas the overload of heavy new snow was just enough to activate these layers and cause dangerous slab avalanches. More snow fell and drifting occurred Sunday, which continued to load slopes with poor snow structure. On slopes facing the north half of the compass, people are likely to trigger soft slab avalanches failing on a buried persistent weak layer. Persistent weak layers consisting of faceted snow sandwiched between crusts exist in some more sunny terrain, and some may be becoming active now as they are overloaded by drifted snow. Observers in the Logan Zone have reported signs of instability in the backcountry, across the zone, including audible collapsing and cracking.
  • Avalanches could be triggered remotely or from a distance.
  • Shooting cracks and audible collapsing are red flags indicating unstable snow.
An observer triggered these deep shooting cracks yesterday at around 9000' on a northeast facing slope in the Central Bear River Range.
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Southwest winds increased overnight and there was plenty of nice powder at upper elevations to drift about. Drifting is overloading slopes with buried persistent weak layers and increasing the depth and weight of a developing slab layer. Soft slab avalanches of wind drifted snow are possible anywhere drifts formed on steep slopes, but most likely today at upper elevations on north and east facing slopes.
  • Avoid fresh drifts on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features like around and below cliff bands, gully walls, and sub-ridges.
Avalanche Problem #3
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Intense and high angled March sun today could saturate the fresh snow and create a danger of loose wet avalanches in sheltered terrain. On sustained slopes, loose wet avalanches could pile up deeply, especially in terrain traps like gullies, sinks, and benches.
***Manage loose avalanches by staying out of constricting terrain, like drainage gullies, and moving out of the fall line so you don't get caught by your own sluff. Avoid being caught and pulled into terrain traps below you like trees, gullies, sinks, or benches.
Additional Information
  • Now is a great time to practice your avalanche rescue skills. Thanks to the generous support of Northstar, the Franklin Basin Beacon Training Park is up and running. The park is located directly west of the parking lot and is open for anyone to use. All you need is your beacon and probe. Please do not dig up the transmitters.
  • Always follow safe backcountry travel protocols. Go one person at a time in avalanche terrain, while the rest of your party watches from a safe area. (practice anytime while traveling on or under backcountry slopes steeper than 30°)
  • Check your avalanche rescue equipment, change your batteries, and practice often with your backcountry partners.
    Check slope angles, and to avoid avalanche terrain stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30° and adjacent slopes. Video Here
General Announcements
Special thank you to Polaris and Northstar...Video Here
Who's up for some free avalanche training? Get a refresher, become better prepared for an upcoming avalanche class, or just boost your skills. Go to https://learn.kbyg.org/ and scroll down to Step 2 for a series of interactive online avalanche courses produced by the UAC.
  • Check out all the upcoming education classes and clinics HERE.
  • Please submit your observations from the backcountry HERE.
This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
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