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Utah Avalanche Center in Logan

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 Wasatch-Cache National Forest  In partnership with:  Utah State Parks and Recreation, Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center-Logan, and Utah State University College of Natural Resources.

               

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Logan area Avalanche advisory

Sunday January 21, 2007:

Hello and good morning, this is Toby Weed of the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center with your Logan Area avalanche and mountain weather advisory.  It's Sunday January 21st, and it's 7:20 in the morning.  This advisory is brought to you in part by the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center in Logan, with special thanks to those of you who came down to Friday night's fundraiser and the numerous local businesses supporting us... I was pleased to see a mixed crowd and good representation from a wide variety of powder-hungry backcountry user-groups.

Current Conditions:

I usually don't get too excited about a few inches of snow, but this year 3 inches of fresh snow makes for a powder day.  You better dust off the goggles, and get an early start to beat the crowds.  The Tony Grove Snotel reports just a little more than 3 inches overnight, containing 3/10s of an inch of water.  On Logan Peak north winds peaked a little after midnight, with averages around 25 mph and a gust near 35 mph.  It's 4 degrees at the Campbell Scientific weather station at 9500', and 7 degrees at Beaver Mountain.  The fresh snow will certainly refresh the scratchy conditions in the backcountry, and I expect nice dust-on-crust in most areas.  There are still places with nice re-crystallized powder on sheltered shady slopes at mid-elevations, and you will find the best powder conditions on these select slopes.

Avalanche Conditions:

A few inches of light snow will not drastically change avalanche conditions in the backcountry.  Avalanches are unlikely today on most slopes in the region.  Remember that low danger doesn't mean no danger, and you should suspect potential avalanches in complex, or extreme, or very steep terrain, even when the snow is stable on most slopes.  The new snow slightly increased the avalanche danger, and today you might trigger small soft wind drift or loose snow avalanches on some steep slopes.   Any new snow avalanches will likely be small and controllable, but it doesn't take much when terrain traps are involved, like if you're slammed into a tree or swept off a cliff. 

Bottom Line:

There is a LOW danger and avalanches are unlikely on most slopes in the backcountry.  You might find exceptions and a MODERATE danger today on some steep slopes. Triggered soft wind slab and dry loose avalanches are possible on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. Use normal caution and insist on following safe backcountry travel procedures.  

Mountain Weather:

We might see a few more flakes today and some lingering clouds.  A ridge of high pressure will rebuild over the region and control the weather through late week.  There's plenty of cold air, which will be trapped in the Valley, and hazy, inverted conditions will return in the next couple days.  Confidence is low for the 5 day + time period, but a trough and stormy weather is possible toward the end of the week.

General Announcements: 

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center-Logan will present a Level 1 Avalanche Class which is scheduled to begin on Friday January 26th.  Please e-mail [email protected] or call 435-753-0372 if you're interested.

For cool pictures of some of 2006's avalanche activity, including last week's avalanches, visit our Images Page.

These advisories are updated on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and weekend mornings by about 7:30.    This advisory will expire on Monday morning. I will update again on Tuesday night.  Logan Area advisories are accessible through the new statewide toll-free avalanche information line at, 1-888-999-4019.

Please send backcountry observations to [email protected] or leave us a message at 755-3638, especially if you see or trigger an avalanche in the backcountry.  I'm a little starved for information from you these days.  Your observations are necessary, and the information you provide may save lives. 

The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content.  This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.