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| Advisory: Logan Area Mountains | Issued by Toby Weed for Friday - January 3, 2014 - 7:06am |
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bottom line Heightened avalanche conditions exist in the Logan Area backcountry, and there is a Level 2 or MODERATE danger on many drifted slopes. Wind and persistent slab avalanches are possible in drifted terrain, and most likely at upper elevations. Drifting from strong and intensifying southwest winds will create a rising avalanche danger throughout the day. There are already some areas with more dangerous conditions, and today you'll find a Level 3 or CONSIDERABLE danger on drifted upper elevation slopes facing the northern quarter of the compass. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision making will be essential for safe travel in the backcountry this weekend.
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special announcement -Sign up now for our Avalanche 101 course to be held in Logan on January 9 and 11................. Information and registration
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current conditions The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 30 degrees this morning, and there is 34 inches of total snow containing 67% of average water content for the date. The 9700' Logan Peak weather station reports 23 degrees and intensifying southwest wind, currently averaging a bit more than 30 mph with gusts in the mid forties. Yesterday, we found nice smooth and fast shallow powder conditions best in lower angled terrain, and we avoided steep upper elevation slopes in Steep Hollow. Many areas are punchy, and you easily sink down into structureless sugary snow. You'll still find pockets of dangerous avalanche conditions in drifted terrain at upper elevations in the Logan Area backcountry.
***Here's a video observation with telling snow pit results from Steep Hollow recorded on 1-2-2014.........HERE Please like it if you do.
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recent activity No new avalanches were reported in the Logan Area during the last week.... We continue to observe and receive reports of occasional audible collapsing in lower angled upper elevation terrain. The woompfing indicates unstable snow conditions.
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| type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
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LIKELIHOOD
 LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
 LARGE
SMALL
TREND
 INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
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description
The snow from just before Christmas piled up and was drifted onto preexisting very weak sugary or faceted snow, which is widespread in the region, creating a slab layer on many slopes. In most areas sublimation and has deteriorated the slab, and it no longer possesses the cohesive properties needed for avalanching. But, in some areas where the slab layer is harder, dangerous persistent slab avalanches are possible. Same old problem; a decreasing probability of triggering, but the consequences of doing so remain very serious. Dangerous human triggered avalanches failing in old weak faceted snow or in the basal layers of the existing snow pack remain probable in some areas facing northwest through north and northeast, especially in drifted upper elevation terrain. Drifting with strong southwest and west winds today will cause a rising danger of persistent slab avalanches. |
| type | aspect/elevation | characteristics |
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LIKELIHOOD
 LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
 LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
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description
Drifting today will cause the development of fresh wind slabs, in many cases on top of very weak preexisting faceted snow or surface hoar. Heightened wind slab avalanche conditions will exist in exposed upper and mid-elevation terrain, and pockets of more dangerous conditions will develop. Triggered wind slab avalanches are possible today on steep slopes with recent and older deposits of drifted snow. You'll find wind slabs composed of stiffer snow in areas where decelerating winds deposit drifting snow. Wind slabs form on the lee side of ridge lines, but can also form on any slope aspect in exposed terrain, especially in and around terrain features like gullies, scoops, sub-ridges, rock outcroppings, and cliff bands. As usual, you should continue to avoid steep drifted slopes.
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weather Southwest winds are intensifying in the mountains as a weak storm front begins to affect the region. Expect windy conditions in the mountains today with snowfall beginning after around 11:00 this morning. It'll be cloudy with 8500' high temperatures around 31 degrees and snow, but not much in the way of accumulations. West winds will increase again overnight, mountain temperatures will drop into the single digits and snowfall will continue, with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation forecast. A high pressure system will rebuild over the region tomorrow through the early part of the coming work week, and the nasty inversion will also return after breaking today. A couple weak impulses are expected during the middle of the week, and some snow is possible. A deeper trough is expected to bring a change in the weather pattern and maybe some snow towards the end of next week... Check out our one stop weather page........HERE |
| general announcements The Utah Avalanche Center wishes you a safe and powder-filled holiday season. Please consider the UAC in your holiday giving plans - your donations pay for these advisories and we can't do this without your help. What is it worth to you every day to get an avalanche and mountain weather advisory? The cost of a beverage or the gas it takes to get up the canyon? You can donate here. Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools. Discount lift tickets are now available at Backcountry.com - Thanks to Ski Utah and the Utah Resorts, including Beaver Mountain. All proceeds go towards paying for Utah Avalanche Center avalanche and mountain weather advisories. Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you shop from Backcountry.com or REI: Click this link for Backcountry.com or this link to REI, shop, and they will donate a percent of your purchase price to the UAC. Both offer free shipping (with some conditions) so this costs you nothing! Benefit the Utah Avalanche Center when you buy or sell on ebay - set the Utah Avalanche Center as a favorite non-profit in your ebay account here and click on ebay gives when you buy or sell. You can choose to have your seller fees donated to the UAC, which doesn't cost you a penny. Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram. -The Utah Avalanche Center along with the Montana State University Ski Tracks project combines GPS technology with detailed logbook surveys completed by participants to help us understand how and why decisions are made in the winter backcountry. Participants will use a free smartphone app to record and send us their ski routes then, they will complete a simple online survey telling us some of the features of their tour. For more information visit: www.montana.edu/snowscience/tracks Follow us at UAClogan on Twitter I'll issue these advisories on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings. This advisory is produced by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. It describes only general avalanche conditions and local variations always exist. |
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