UDOT PLANNED AVALANCHE CLOSURES!!

Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed for
Friday, March 3, 2023
Elevated avalanche conditions exist on drifted slopes steeper than 30° at all elevations in the backcountry. Avalanches are more likely and there is CONSIDERABLE danger up high in windy terrain and on slopes facing northwest through southeast where people are still likely to trigger thick slabs of wind drifted snow failing on a buried persistent weak layer.
  • Make conservative decisions and evaluate snow and terrain carefully.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
To help you safely enjoy the backcountry, the UAC team is constantly evaluating and implementing new programs and technologies. Donate to the Spring Campaign to help our team implement innovative tools and better provide you with the information you rely on.
Weather and Snow
The deep new snow from this weeks storm is rapidly settling and stability continues to improve. Even so, people continue to remotely trigger large avalanches on isolated slopes. So, it's probably a good idea to give the recent big load of new snow a little bit more time before committing to big steep slopes. Huge loads of drifted new snow snow from this week's storm are now overloading slopes, some with poor snow structure and buried persistent weak layers.. While we'll probably find much better stability today, it'll be even better tomorrow.

The 8400' Tony Grove Snotel reports close to four feet of new snow, with 4.5" SWE from this week's incredible storm. It's 16° F this morning, and there is 126 inches of total snow. The wind is blowing from the southwest, 25 to 30 mph at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station.
Here is the NWS point forecast for high elevations in the Central Bear River Range:
Today: Snow, mainly before 11am. The snow could be heavy at times. Temperature rising to near 19 by 10am, then falling to around 13 during the remainder of the day. Wind chill values as low as -5. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 4. Wind chill values as low as -10. West wind 10 to 18 mph.
Saturday: Snow, mainly after 11am. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 25. Wind chill values as low as -3. Breezy, with a southwest wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
Looks like a bit of a break in the snowfall on Sunday, but unsettled weather will continue and more snow will accumulate next week.
Recent Avalanches
  • Thursday, riders remotely triggered a large avalanche in the southernmost bowl off Red Pine Ridge, in Richard's Hollow or the backside of Providence Canyon. (9000', east facing), video HERE
  • Skiers remotely triggered a large avalanche in the Beaver Mountain Backcountry Tuesday. The 2' deep and 600' wide avalanche off the south ridge of Beaver Mountain is on an east facing slope at 8000', and it was triggered by a skier hundreds of feet away. report is HERE
  • Tuesday, I could see evidence of widespread long running natural avalanches in the Wellsvilles, with most paths having slid. Bench crashers! Some ran full length of their paths, way overrunning debris from previous events.. On Thursday, I visited Maple Bench to look at extensive naturals from earlier in the week, and to the runout from Bird Canyon, which ran full length of path (~3000vrt') and well into maples below.
  • A natural avalanche Monday morning ran ~1250 vrt' to Green Canyon bottom less than 100' from access road to popular trailhead at about 5000' in elevation.

  • For a list of avalanches in the Logan Zone go HERE
    Find a list of all recent observations & avalanches from across Utah HERE.
Ad
Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
This morning winds are blowing from the southwest, and they are strong enough to drift the settled powder. Avalanches of wind drifted storm snow, 1 to 4 feet thick, are possible on drifted slopes at all elevations, but will be larger and even more likely for people to trigger on upper and mid elevation slopes facing northwest through souteast.
  • Avoid corniced slopes and stiffer drifts on steep slopes near ridges and in and around terrain features like cliff bands, sub-ridges, mid-slope break-overs, and gully walls.
  • Wind slabs consist of stiffer drifted snow.
  • Some wind slab avalanches could fail on a sugary persistent weak layer, and some might be triggered remotely.
  • Stay well clear of the freshly swollen cornices, which are likely to break further back than you might expect and could trigger avalanches on slopes below.
Avalanche Problem #2
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The Persistent Weak Layer problem is widely scattered across terrain, especially at mid and upper elevations, where thin layers of sugary snow or other weak snow grains exist only in isolated pockets, but on most aspects. At lower elevations in the Logan Zone layers of sugary faceted snow are more widespread and more prevalent on northerly facing slopes.
  • Avalanches failing on a persistent weak layer are possible at all elevations but are notably also still possible down lower, below about 7000' elevation.
  • Avalanches could be triggered remotely or from a distance.
Additional Information
This large avalanche that occurred on Tuesday in the Beaver Mountain Backcountry was remotely triggered by skiers from hundreds of feet away.
We found very small grains of sugary faceted snow above a crust that was the avalanche bed surface.
General Announcements
  • Please submit your observations from the backcountry HERE.
  • For a list of avalanche classes from the Utah Avalanche Center go HERE
  • For information on where you can ride your sled or snowbike, check out this map of the winter travel plan for the Logan and Ogden Ranger Districts HERE, and a close up of the Tony Grove and Franklin Basin Areas HERE.
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.