Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Tuesday - March 18, 2014 - 6:26am
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Heightened avalanche conditions exist and there is a MODERATE or level 2 danger on drifted slopes at upper and mid elevations, with triggered wind slab avalanches and cornice falls possible. There are probably pockets with more dangerous conditions, where you would likely trigger wind slab avalanches, and I've included level 3 or CONSIDERABLE danger in some upper elevation terrain. Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, and avoid drifted slopes and large cornices at upper elevations.

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special announcement

Sale on all remaining discount lift tickets donated to the Utah Avalanche Center from Beaver Mountain, Wolf Mountain, Sundance, and Brian Head: The few remaining tickets are being blown out with all proceeds used to pay for avalanche advisories and education. Go here to get your tickets.

Snow coverage and conditions are stellar at Beaver Mountain this spring. 3-12-2014
current conditions

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 9 inches of new snow containing 0.9" of water in the last 24 hours. I'm reading 15 degrees at the station, and there's 119 inches of total snow, with 135% of average water content for the date. It's 9 degrees at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and the wind diminished significantly since yesterday, now averaging in the lower single digits from the north-northwest.
recent activity

It's been a couple weeks since any avalanches stepping into old snow occurred in the Logan Zone. Shallow wind slabs and cornice falls are fairly frequent during and just after the spring storms, and easily predicted loose wet avalanches have been common with solar heating and seasonal warmth affecting fresh snow.

Visit our Backcountry Observations Page for more details.
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

Wind slab avalanches involving drifted fresh snow up to about a foot-and-a-half deep are likely in some wind-exposed upper elevation terrain. These should be mostly of the manageable variety for experienced travelers, but some might be a bit bigger than you expect and a few might be stiff enough to allow you to get out on the slab before it fails.

  • Watch for and avoid stiffer drifted snow in steep lee terrain and in and around terrain features like gully walls, outcroppings, or under cliffs.
  • Avoid and stay out from under large and overhanging cornices along major ridge-lines, which are likely to break further back than you expect and could trigger avalanches on slopes below.

weather

There is a chance of continuing snow showers this morning, but it'll be partly cloudy with 8500' high temperatures around 26 degrees and moderate north-northwest winds. It'll be partly cloudy tonight, with a slight chance of snow showers, moderate northwest winds and temperatures in the mid teens. Expect sunny conditions tomorrow, with moderate southwest winds and temperatures around 33 degrees. A dry cold front will move through the region on Thursday, and a return to the more mild westerly flow is expected for the end of the week.

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

Can you change Utah in a day? Utah's non-profit community is a big part of what makes living in Utah great. Join your community in a state-wide day of non-profit appreciation and support with Love Utah Give Utah on Thursday, March 20.  Your donation to the Utah Avalanche Center between now andMarch 20 through this link, large or small, helps pay for avalanche advisories and education and makes the Utah Avalanche Center eligible for challenge grants and special awards provided by local businesses.  In Salt Lake City?  Stop by Squatters downtown on Th 3/20 between 4 and 6 for some free snacks, an opportunity to chat with some of the UAC folks, and make an online donation.  

Show Us You Know the Snow: US & Canadian avy groups have a challenge to sidecountry riders: Use your camera to tell a short video story about how your crew gets ready to safely ride beyond the resort boundary. Videos will be posted & promoted by GoPro & other partners. The contest will run till Mar 21. The winner will be determined by a combination of most views & an expert panel. Prizes include: 2 days at Monashee Powder Snowcats, 2 4-day Gold Passes to any US resort, a Backcountry Access Float 22 airbag, gear from Backcountry.com, editing help and support from Sherpas Cinema, & more. Winners will be announced in late March. . Details at knowthesnow.com     Please share this with your friends

Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools.

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.

Follow us at UAClogan on Twitter 

I'll issue these advisories on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings through the month of March.

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.