Cold temperatures are helping snow stability and there's a level 2 or Moderate danger in the backcountry around Logan today. You could still trigger large and dangerous deep slab avalanches in isolated outlying areas and steep upper and mid elevation slopes with generally thin snow coverage... I've included some pockets of level 3 or Considerable danger on suspect slopes, because any triggered deep slab could be huge, destructive, and quite likely unsurvivable... Fresh shallow and generally manageable wind slab avalanches are likely on recently drifted slopes, and you should be aware of trees or other terrain traps below you if you travel in steep terrain. Cornice falls could trigger large slab avalanches on steep drifted slopes below. Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, and continue to avoid steep rocky slopes with generally thin snow cover. You'll find safer conditions at lower elevations, on slopes with a solidly refrozen sun-crust, in sheltered areas, and in lower angled terrain...

Temperatures dropped significantly with yesterday evening's blustery cold front and the resulting refreeze will lock up the saturated snow on sunny slopes and solidify the widespread sun-crust. Not much in the way of accumulation, with remote snow sites in the Bear River Range only reporting 2 to 4 inches, so expect to find fast, dust-on-crust conditions. It's 20 degrees up at the 8400' Tony Grove Snotel this morning, and there's 86 inches of total snow containing 91% of normal water for the date. The site picked up 3 new inches of snow overnight, containing 2/10ths of an inch of water... The 9700' Campbell Scientific Logan Peak weather station reports 12 crispy degrees, and a northeast wind averaging around 15 mph this morning... Cooler temperatures will help with snow stability....

It was a very active weekend across the mountains of northern Utah, with numerous large natural and some scary human triggered avalanches reported from the backcountry.... On Saturday, a snowmobiler was deeply buried and killed by a large avalanche in a very remote area in the La Sal Range in the Moab Area. Max Forgensi of the Utah Avalanche Center was on scene and compiled an excellent accident report.... HERE

Sledders recovered a party member who was completely buried under several feet of heavy avalanche debris in the mountains near Kamas on Sunday. For an excellent video recounting the miracle rescue, click... HERE

Locally; the warmth and sunshine on Sunday and Monday caused a good number of large avalanches in the Logan Zone.... On Friday in the Providence Canyon Area, while walking on the windward side of Red Pine Ridge at around 9000' in elevation, we remote triggered a small cornice fall that triggered a very large hard slab on the slope below. The avalanche on a mostly east facing slope caused another large sympathetic release a few hundred feet away. The deep slab avalanche failed on weak faceted December snow or depth hoar near the ground.

(go to our current conditions page for more details on the local activity and reports of many other recent avalanches and conditions across the mountains of Utah)

A few snow showers are likely this morning, and there will be a chilly north wind along the ridges today, with 8500' high temperatures only in the mid twenties... Moderate northeast winds will continue tonight, with low temperatures in the mid teens. A high pressure system will set up over the region on Thursday. Expect gradually warming and dry, fair weather in the mountains through at least early next week...

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Please send us your observations from the backcountry especially if you see or trigger an avalanche, but also even if you don't.. go to avalanche and snow observations. You can also call me directly at 435-757-7578 or leave us a message at our office, 801-524-5304.... And, you can always send us a simple email by clicking HERE

I will update this advisory by around 7:30 in the morning on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.....

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.