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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed for
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Sunny skies and warm temperatures today will elevate the potential for (slow-moving) wet avalanches at all elevations. The danger could rise to CONSIDERABLE on sunny slopes steeper than 30°, with natural wet avalanches becoming likely and large cornice falls possible off the high ridges. People could trigger large, dangerous wet avalanches, especially in steep rocky terrain.
  • Evaluate snow and terrain carefully and make conservative decisions.
  • Avoid being on or under slopes with melt-softened saturated snow, and stay out from under large overhanging cornices that may fail in the heat of the day.
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Weather and Snow
Significant issues today will be solar heating and seasonal warmth, elevating the potential for wet avalanches that could entrain heavy piles of moist or saturated snow. You'll find very nice spring weather in the mountains today, but the powder has become heavy and wet even in north-facing terrain. A superficial refreeze overnight has likely formed surface crusts in many areas, and these will soften this morning.
The Tony Grove Lake Snotel at 8400' reports 34° F this morning, and there is 103 inches of total snow at the site containing 125% of normal snow water equivalent.
At the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, winds are blowing from the west 18 mph with gusts in the mid-30s, and it's 30° F.
At our new Paris Peak weather station at 9500', it's 23 °F, and the wind blows from the southwest 18 mph.
It's 30° F at our new Card Canyon weather station at 8800', and there is 90 inches of total snow.
Expect increasingly warm temperatures and sunny conditions in the mountains for today and tomorrow. Snow showers are likely at the end of the week, and it looks like there is potential for another winter storm over the weekend, with heavy snow showers and a possibility of thunder on Saturday...
For more information, visit our mountain weather page HERE
Recent Avalanches
Over the weekend, there were several human-triggered avalanches and a few close calls in the Wasatch Range. Visit our Avalanche Page for more details.
No avalanche incidents were reported over the weekend in the Logan Zone, but riders triggered numerous small slides in steep terrain.
On Monday, a rider triggered a small, not unexpected, soft wind slab in a steep chute on a NE facing slope at 9200' in the Central Bear River Range. report
On Monday, there were a few small natural wet slab avalanches and extensive cracking on the east side of the Logan River downstream of the Forestry Camp. report
Yesterday afternoon, from the Highway in Sardine Canyon, we could see large piles of fresh wet avalanche debris beneath Mitton Peak and evidence of wet avalanches that gouged deeply into the snow in chutes above Sherwood Hills.
Check out all local observations and avalanches HERE.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Intense sun will cause the risk of wet avalanches to increase rapidly today. Solar heating and seasonal warmth will cause the snow to be soft and saturated throughout and prone to producing wet avalanches. Despite being rather slow-moving compared to dry avalanches, these could entrain large piles of heavy snow and grow to become large and dangerous avalanches on sustained slopes.
  • If you are sinking deeply into wet/moist snow, move to a lower-angle slope or cooler aspect or elevation.
  • Avoid being on or under steep slopes with moist or saturated snow. Collapsing or whumpfs and shooting cracks are red flags indicating unstable snow.
  • Be aware of terrain traps below like trees, gullies, sinks, or rock outcroppings that wet avalanches could sweep you into.
  • Practice safe travel protocols to avoid exposing more than one person to avalanche danger.
Avalanche Problem #2
Cornice
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The heat will cause large overhanging cornices on the major ridges to sag and buckle, and some of these could calve off large chunks, perhaps causing avalanches on slopes below.
Additional Information
From the Highway on Tuesday, we could see large piles of fresh wet avalanche debris below Mitton Peak
Small wet slab avalanches and extensive cracking were apparent on the banks of the Logan River on Monday. These red flags indicate the potential for wet avalanche activity on steep lower-elevation slopes.
General Announcements
-National Forest Winter Recreation Travel Maps show where it's open to ride: UWCNF Logan, Ogden LRD Tony Grove, Franklin Basin CTNF Montpelier
-Sign up for forecast region-specific text message alerts. You will receive messages about changing avalanche conditions, watches, and warnings...HERE.
-For all questions on forecasts, education, Know Before You Go, events, online purchases, or fundraising, call 801-365-5522.
-To report an avalanche or submit an observation from the backcountry, go HERE.
-Come practice companion rescue at the Franklin Basin TH Beacon Training Park. It's free and open to everyone. For easy user instructions, go HERE.
-We will issue regular daily updates of our forecast through April 14.
-We will update this forecast tomorrow by 7:30 AM.
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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