Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Sunday - February 16, 2014 - 6:18am
bottom line

A HIGH or Level 4 avalanche danger exists on many slopes in the in the Logan Area backcountry. Dangerous avalanches are possible today at all elevations and on slopes facing every direction due to very mild temperatures, rain, heavy snow up high, sustained southwest winds, and widespread preexisting weak snow. Dangerous deep slab avalanches could be triggered remotely, from a distance, or the flats below steep slopes. Cooling today will begin to help dangerous wet slab conditions on saturated lower elevation slopes. Continue to stay off of and out from under steep slopes and obvious or historic avalanche paths.

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avalanche warning

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE FOREST SERVICE UTAH AVALANCHE CENTER. THIS AVALANCHE WARNING IS FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL UTAH. A HIGH AVALANCHE DANGER CONTINUES WITH LARGE, NATURAL AND HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES POSSIBLE. BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS SHOULD AVOID SLOPES STEEPER THAN 30 DEGREES AND AVALANCHE RUNNOUT AREAS. THIS WARNING DOES NOT INCLUDE SKI AREAS OR HIGHWAYS WHERE AVALANCHE CONTROL IS NORMALLY DONE.
current conditions

The Tony Grove Snotel reports 97 inches of total snow, amazingly now up to 125% of average water content for the date. The station picked up 5.2 inches of water in a couple feet of heavy snow since February 11. It's currently still too warm at 37 degrees, but it appears to be cooling down. Temperatures already dropped from a high of 46 degrees at 23:00 last night to 35 currently at the Hwy 89 Logan summit weather station. The 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station recorded sustained south-southwest winds overnight, and I'm reading average wind speeds in the mid twenties with gusts near 50 mph this morning.

The Tony Grove Snotel reached 100" of total snow overnight. Here a look at the campground on 2-14-2014. (Flygare)


recent activity
  • Several large and long running natural avalanches occurred in the Logan Zone in the last few days, including a huge avalanche in Pine Canyon in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness and a scary wet slide above Zanavoo in Lower Logan Canyon.
  • More significant wet slab activity occurred on Beaver Backside, this visible from Logan Canyon yesterday evening.
  • On 2-11-2014, a 28-year-old sledder in a party of 5 from the Layton area was buried by a large avalanche and then rapidly recovered by his partners near Millville Peak. Apparently, he was unconscious and unresponsive when recovered by beacon, but spontaneously began to breath when his airway was cleared.​.... see the ACCIDENT REPORT
  • A sledder triggered a wet avalanche in the Providence Quarry......2-13-2014 Video Observation

Large wet slab avalanches low on the Beaver Backside occurred during the afternoon Saturday, 2-15-2014. (Carlisle​)
Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

The preexisting snow is very weak at all elevations, and dangerous triggered and natural persistent or deep slab avalanches failing on buried faceted weak layers remain likely today on many steep slopes. You could trigger dangerous avalanches remotely, from a distance or even from the flats below steep slopes. Several large and long running natural avalanches occurred in the past few days, and more are possible again today, so stay away from and out from under avalanche paths. Deep slab avalanches could entrain significant wet snow in descent and run down to lower elevations as destructive wet avalanches.

Large and long running natural avalanche in Pine Canyon in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness from 2-13-2014
Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Rain and warming temperatures created a HIGH danger of wet avalanches at lower and mid elevations. Triggered and natural wet slabs and loose moist sluffs entraining significant amounts of fresh snow are likely again today in steep lower and mid elevation terrain. Avoid travel above lower elevation terrain traps and stay off of and out from under steep slopes with saturated snow. Cooling temperatures today will begin to solidify the saturated lower elevation snow and help with stability.
Avalanche Problem 3
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Fresh drifts formed overnight in exposed upper elevation terrain. Triggered wind slab avalanches are likely in steep terrain again today, and a smaller avalanche overrunning a slope with poor snow structure or saturated snow could cause a step-down into weak old snow and result in a much larger and more dangerous avalanche.

weather

We're expecting dropping temperatures, southwest wind, and a few inches of snow at upper elevations today as the moist Pacific tropical flow resumes. 8500' temperatures should drop to about 28 degrees by this evening. Expect increasing and sustained west and southwest winds. Mountain temperatures will cool down into the teens overnight. Looks like it'll be mostly sunny tomorrow, with temperatures in the mid thirties and moderate southwest wind. Another storm and a good chance of significant snow will arrive late Tuesday

Check out our one-stop weather page........HERE
general announcements

 Discount lift tickets are 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.

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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.

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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.