Advisory: Logan Area Mountains | utahavalanchecenter.org

Avalanche Advisory

Advisory: Logan Area Mountains	Issued by Toby Weed for Monday - February 23, 2015 - 6:57am

bottom line

You'll find nice and stable dust-on-crust riding conditions in most areas, but sustained and strong east wind created heightened avalanche conditions and a MODERATE (Level 2) danger in drifted terrain at upper elevations.

Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, especially in wind exposed terrain at upper elevations.
Avoid stiffer wind-deposited snow and obvious drifts on slopes steeper than about 30 degrees.

special announcement

****Special thanks to Buttar's of Tremonton and ArcticCat for hooking us up with the light and powerful M8000, which is featured in UAC Logan's Practicing Companion Rescue video........HERE

current conditions

Strong easterly wind yesterday sent long plumes off Logan Peak and the Wellsville Range, and visible drifting of the fresh light powder was obvious in some areas, while at the same time it was much calmer in the Logan Canyon and Beaver Mountain areas. You'll find cold wintry weather today, with a wicked sub-zero wind-chill and nice dust-on-crust riding conditions across the zone in sheltered terrain. The Tony Grove Snotel reports 72 inches of total snow containing 99% of average water for the date, and it's a chilly 0 degrees at the 8400' site. The UDOT Hwy 89 Logan Summit weather station also reports an even zero degrees, and southeast winds gusting into the mid-twenties overnight, but diminishing a little this morning.

I found pooled graupel under the cliffs in Steep Hollow. (2-20-2015)

***Video Observation from Steep Hollow on 2-20-2015.......HERE

recent activity

No avalanches were reported locally since the first week of February.

Visit our Backcountry Observations Page for more local information and from across the state.

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 Triggered wind slab avalanches a foot or two deep are possible in drifted upper elevation terrain. East winds were strong in some mountain areas yesterday and overnight, and the cold winds will continue today, stripping the light fresh snow from large low angled fetch areas and depositing it into lee slope avalanche starting zones. Avoid stiffer, wind deposited snow on the lee side of ridges, in and around terrain features like gullies and cliff bands, and areas where snow is vertically cross-loaded near sub-ridges, roll-overs, or scoops lower on the slope. Be cautious around freshly built-out cornices on ridge-lines, which could break further back than you expect and might trigger wind slab avalanches on drifted slopes below.

type

aspect/elevation

characteristics

LIKELIHOOD

LIKELY

UNLIKELY

SIZE

LARGE

SMALL

TREND

INCREASING DANGER

SAME

DECREASING DANGER

over the next 24 hours

description

Triggered wind slab avalanches a foot or two deep are possible in drifted upper elevation terrain. East winds were strong in some mountain areas yesterday and overnight, and the cold winds will continue today, stripping the light fresh snow from large low angled fetch areas and depositing it into lee slope avalanche starting zones. Avoid stiffer, wind deposited snow on the lee side of ridges, in and around terrain features like gullies and cliff bands, and areas where snow is vertically cross-loaded near sub-ridges, roll-overs, or scoops lower on the slope. Be cautious around freshly built-out cornices on ridge-lines, which could break further back than you expect and might trigger wind slab avalanches on drifted slopes below.

weather

It'll be mostly sunny, but cold and windy in the mountains again today, with 8500' high temperatures around 23 degrees, but sub-zero wind chills and sustained east winds, averaging in the teens and twenties. It'll be mostly clear tonight, with a low temperature around 12 degrees and gradually diminishing northeast wind. It'll be sunny tomorrow, with moderate north winds and a high around 32 degrees. Our next chance for some snow comes around Thursday, with at least a general colder change in the exceptionally warm February weather pattern.

***Check out our one-stop weather page........HERE

general announcements

***Advisories by email for the Logan Zone. Go here for details.

*** Utah Avalanche Center mobile app

Discount lift tickets are now available at Backcountry.com. Thanks to Ski Utah and the Utah Resorts. 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!

***Please submit snow and avalanche observations from your ventures in the backcountry HERE. You can call us at 801-524-5304 or email HERE, or include #utavy in your Instagram or Tweet us @UAClogan. To report avalanche activity in the Logan Area or to contact the local avalanche forecaster call me, Toby, at 435-757-7578.

I'll regularly update this advisory on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings by about 7:30. 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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