Wicked cold north winds wrecked the snow at upper elevations in the Bear River Range and obscured evidence of widespread natural avalanches from last weekend's storm. Stability has improved on lower elevation slopes, where cold temperatures solidified rain-saturated snow. We found nice shallow powder conditions on sunny slopes, in sheltered terrain and at lower elevations.
Cold north winds sculpted the fresh snow on Naomi Peak, scouring it off of exposed slopes and depositing it into deep stiff drifts where the wind is slowed by terrain.
The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 13º F this morning and there's 61" of total snow containing 93% of average SWE for the date. I'm reading a wind chill of -17º F, with 7º F at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and west-southwest winds are currently averaging around 35 mph, with gusts approaching 50.
A series of weak storm systems will move over the Logan Zone through the end of the week, bringing periods of mountain snow accumulations and temperatures near seasonal normals. Today we'll see 4 to 8 inches of snow, with high temperatures at 8500' around 23º F, and 20 to 25 mph west-southwest winds with gusts around 40 mph.. Tonight, 3 to 7 inches of snow, temperatures around 25º F, and 15 to 20 mph west wind. Snow showers are likely tomorrow, with temperature around 25º F, and 15 to 20 mph west-northwest wind.
-A backcountry skier was buried by an avalanche and killed near Fairview late Thursday, 1/18/19. Search and rescue teams from Emery and Sanpete County recovered his body Friday near Electric Lake on the Manti Skyline. Preliminary report is
HERE.
-Natural avalanches were widespread across the Logan Zone late last week, but they're covered up by fresh snow now so not so obvious. Natural avalanches of note include somewhat blown-in evidence of large hard slab avalanches on many paths in the Wellsville Range, and in the Bear River Range, including big ones in Wood Camp, Tab Hollow, Logan Dry Canyon, and Castle Rock near Naomi Peak.
I could see evidence of a large hard slab avalanche in off the Beirdneau Ridge in Tab Hollow.
Part of the 1/4mile-long crown on Castle Rock near Naomi Peak