The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center and Cache Honda Yamaha invite you to attend an Avalanche Class for Snowmobilers. The class will start Thursday January 29th at 6:30 at CHY (3765 N. Hwy 91, Hyde Park), with an on-the-snow field session on Saturday, January 31st.  Cost: $25 per person for both sessions or $10 for Thursday's classroom session only. To register, please contact Cache Honda Yamaha at 563-6291.

  The overall avalanche danger in the backcountry will rise to CONSIDERABLE, with significant accumulations of heavy new snow expected at upper elevations and more rain down low today.  This means there are dangerous avalanche conditions.  There is already a CONSIDERABLE danger this morning on steep lower elevation slopes with saturated snow, and the danger will linger as long as it keeps raining.  Substantial  accumulations of heavy new snow will cause a rising danger on upper and mid-elevation slopes, and avalanches will become more likely by this afternoon, especially on slopes with significant deposits of heavy new or wind drifted snow steeper than about 35 degrees.  Deadly deep slab avalanches will become increasingly possible once again as snow continues to stack up over the weekend and into next week.

Use conservative decision making, careful route finding and good travel habits. 

Someone cranked open the giant faucet and it looks like substantial snow for the region this weekend under a mild and very moist southwest flow.  The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the mountains of Northern Utah through Monday.  Expect intensifying snowfall in the mountains today with rain at lower elevations with accumulations of up to a foot of new snow possible.

The Tony Grove Snotel reported around 9 inches of heavy new snow yesterday, containing 1.4 inches of water.  Overnight winds have been and are still fairly light from the southwest.

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed a handful of large natural loose wet avalanches in Logan Canyon near Temple Fork and above the Dugway section...Wet avalanches gouging to the ground, and in one case, crossing the river on steep low elevation slopes with saturated, structure-less snow. (1-23-09 photos)

Triggered avalanches involving heavy moist or drifted new snow were fairly common in the Wasatch Range yesterday, with a  few taking people for rides resulting in couple minor injuries. (Wasatch Advisory)

..Expect  a good shot of snow today under a continued tropical moisture fed southwest flow.  A foot or so is possible today at upper elevations and temperatures and the rain/snow line should gradually drop...The storm will continue with westerly winds and substantial snowfall through Monday morning...

The productive weather pattern looks to continue into next week.

New***   Click HERE for the online version of the Know Before You Go video.

The Utah Avalanche Center depends on contributions from users like you to support our work....You can support the Utah Avalanche Center and get discount lift tickets to  Beaver Mountain (here).  All proceeds from sales will support us through the Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center....

Also the friends still have a few items left over from the Logan fundraiser and you can pick up a few killer deals right now..Here are the items that are still available: -

(2) One day passes to Park City Powder Cats to be used during January or March and before April 15th, 2009.  Retail value is $449 each. Suggested Donation: $225 each

-Men's Medium Patagonia Figure 4 Jacket Grey    Suggested Donation: $95

-Yamaha Leather Snowmobile Jacket Men's Medium     Black with Blue marks   Suggested Donation: $100

100% of your donation will support the Utah Avalanche Center.  Email loganavalanche@gmail.com if you are interested in any of these items.

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

I will update this advisory by 7:30 Monday morning.