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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed for
Friday, December 28, 2012

Heightened avalanche conditions exist, you could trigger avalanches, and there's a MODERATE (or level 2) danger, mostly at upper elevations in the backcountry today. Triggered persistent slabs, wind slabs, and loose avalanches are all possible in steep terrain. The danger is LOW (level 1), with avalanches unlikely on many steep slopes, in sheltered terrain, at lower elevations, and on lower angled slopes. Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, and continue to use safe travel protocols....

Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
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Weather and Snow

You'll find fine knee-deep light powder conditions across the zone and great riding. South facing slopes sport a crumbly radiation crust from Christmas Day, now buried under several inches of light powder. The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 54 inches of total snow, 93% of average water content for the date, and it's 13 degrees this morning. Campbell Scientific's 9700' Logan Peak weather station reports a current temperature of 6 degrees, and a light northwest breeze, with wind speeds only averaging in the single digits.

Recent Avalanches

A small fresh natural wind slab was sighted by observers in Amazon Basin on Christmas Day, and we've been able to initiate a few loose sluffs in very steep terrain in the past couple days, but no other avalanche activity has been reported recently in the Logan Area. There were a few interesting human triggered avalanches in the mountains near Salt Lake City where significantly more snow fell in the last few days. Here's a link to our avalanche list...

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Avalanche Problem #1
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

Although becoming less of a threat with time, there are still areas with poor snow structure where you might trigger dangerous hard slab avalanches releasing on buried persistent weak layers. Outlying steep slopes facing the northern third of the compass with generally shallow and weak snow are the most suspect. It'll take a bit of probing or digging to determine, but be wary if you find loose sugary snow in the basal layers Avalanches running on persistent weak layers might be triggered remotely from a distance or worse, from below. Please report any audible collapsing or whumpfing you may encounter, as this is an important sign of persistent instability.

Avalanche Problem #2
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

With all the light powder around, it won't take much wind to build sensitive new wind slabs on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features like cliff bands, sub-ridges, gullies, and scoops. In some areas, stiffer old wind slabs are now buried and hidden by fresh powder...

Avalanche Problem #3
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

We've triggered several loose dry sluffs in steep terrain in the past couple days, a few of these gained a bit of steam as they ran and a couple went pretty far down the slope.... You might encounter more of the same in steep areas today.

Additional Information

A bit more snowfall is possible this morning, but an incoming high pressure system will start clearing the skies and some sunshine is likely later this afternoon. Expect continued light west winds and high temperatures near 20 degrees at around 8000'. It should be partly sunny tomorrow, with a bit warmer temperatures and a slightly increased southwest breeze. Clouds will roll in Saturday night with the next Pacific storm system, and we'll probably see a little snow on Sunday.

Check out the Logan Mountain Weather page...

General Announcements

The friends of the Utah Avalanche Center in Logan is presenting an Advanced Skills backcountry 201 class in early January. A classroom session on the evening of January 3 and a field day on Saturday January 5. Here's a link for more information and registration; Advanced Skills, backcountry 201 or call 435-757-2794.

Discount lift tickets are in and it would be a good day for lift serviced riding! Go to http://www.backcountry.com/utah-avalanche-center to get tickets from our partners at Alta, Beaver Mountain, Brighton, Canyons, Deer Valley, Park City, Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, Snowbird, Solitude, Sundance, and Wolf Mountain. All proceeds benefit the Utah Avalanche Center.

Remember your information can save lives. If you see or trigger an avalanche in the backcountry or see anything else we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or email by clicking HERE. In the Logan Area you can contact Toby Weed directly at 435-757-7578.

This advisory is produced by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. It describes only general avalanche conditions and local variations always exist.

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