Logan Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Toby Weed

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

New snow and wind overnight and continuing today is causing a rising avalanche danger in the the backcountry. The overall danger remains MODERATE (2), but there are pockets with a CONSIDERABLE (3) danger on upper elevation slopes with fresh deposits of drifted new snow. Triggered soft wind slab avalanches involving new snow are very possible on steep drifted slopes. You could also still trigger dangerous persistent slab avalanches 2 to 3 feet deep in some areas, and additional loading could reactivate deeply buried layers, making slopes more sensitive to triggering.... Avalanches are most likely in drifted terrain above around 8000 feet in elevation and on northwest through east facing slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. As new snow accumulates on the generally weak existing snowpack, the avalanche danger will rise and become more widespread...

Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, follow proper backcountry travel protocols, and use cautious route-finding and conservative tactics.


CURRENT CONDITIONS

The Tony Grove Snotel reports 5 inches of new snow overnight and 41 inches of total snow on the ground, and a temperature of 26 degrees. Its 18 degrees this morning at the Campbell Scientific weather station on Logan Peak at 9700', and there's currently a 25 to 30 mph wind from the southwest...

Expect continued stormy conditions in the mountains and an increasing avalanche danger.....


RECENT ACTIVITY

No avalanches were reported locally since last weekend, but 2010 is so-far quite an active year for avalanches in the backcountry around Logan...

Here's an updated local backcountry avalanche list:


THREAT #1

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Overnight southwest winds drifted new snow into sensitive slabs in lee slope and terrain governed deposition areas. Triggered wind slab avalanches are probable on steep slopes in exposed terrain.. As new snow begins to accumulate it'll be drifted into sensitive slabs by constant southwest winds..


THREAT #2

WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 24 hours.

Triggered persistent slab avalanches 1 to 3 feet deep are still quite possible today on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees, especially on those at upper elevations with recent deposits of wind-drifted snow. Additional loading from this week's stormy weather may well be enough to reactivate deeply buried persistent weak layers.....


MOUNTAIN WEATHER

It'll be a fairly moist and stormy day in the mountains with continuing strong southwest winds and 2 to 4 inches of accumulation forecast.

Moist waves of Pacific storminess will continue though the week affecting mainly the Southern Mountains, but significant accumulations also appear probable up north in terrain favored by a southwest flow...


GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

I will be issuing morning avalanche advisories for the Logan area on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

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Send us your avalanche and snow observations. You can also call me at 435-757-7578 or the SLC office at 800-662-4140, or email to uac@utahavalanchecenter.org

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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.

I will update this forecast Wednesday morning. Thanks for checking in....


This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done.  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.


This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.