Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Wednesday - March 11, 2015 - 7:11am
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MODERATE (level 2): Triggered shallow persistent slab avalanches are unlikely yet remain possible on isolated upper elevation slopes​. Warmth trapped by cloud-cover, or "green-housing," could easily create heightened wet avalanche conditions today in steep terrain, especially on shady slopes where cold dry snow becomes initially saturated.

  • Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, especially in previously drifted upper elevation areas.
  • Stay off and out from under or leave steep slopes with sloppy, sticky, or saturated surface snow during the heat of midday.

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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

Paige found nice powder riding conditions on the Cat in Steep Hollow, (3-4-2015)
current conditions

The snow is stable on most slopes, but with warm temperatures and today's cloud cover holding in the heat, heightened wet avalanche conditions could develop on shady slopes in areas where yesterday's snow was still cold and dry. The Tony Grove Snotel reports 66 inches of total snow containing 94% of average water for the date, and it's already a toasty 36 degrees at 8400'. It's a bit cooler lower down in Middle Sinks, with 22 degrees posted at the UDOT Hwy 89 Logan Summit weather station, and fairly light east winds overnight again.


recent activity

I noticed a couple small loose wet avalanches yesterday on east facing slopes that were triggered by riders, and natural loose wet activity has been fairly common in the past few days in sunny terrain. Yesterday, I also came across the scene of a recent skier-triggered soft slab avalanche, which looks to have occurred over the weekend. Since the avalanche was not reported, the story is unclear. But, judging by the story told in tracks, it appeared as though the skier triggered and was caught and carried by the 1' deep and around 70' wide avalanche at around 8700' on a north-northeast facing slope in the TonyG/BlindH Saddle.

A recent ski-triggered avalanche in the Tony Grove/Blind Hollow Saddle (3-10-2015). The report is ......HERE

***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 persistent slab avalanches 1 to 2 feet deep and running on a thin weak layer made up of small faceted grains are unlikely yet still possible in drifted upper elevation terrain. Warmth and resulting creep, glide, and slab softening could make the situation worse in some areas. Avalanches remain possible at upper elevations in outlying areas like the Wellsville Mountain and Mt. Naomi Wildernesses, and in "extreme" or "serious" mountain terrain. Avoid stiffer previously wind-deposited snow on steep slopes and ridge-top cornices which are starting to sag and buckle in the warmth.
Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 10 hours
description

Cloud-cover could trap the heat in the atmosphere today, and green-housing could cause heightened wet avalanche conditions on shady slopes where yesterday's snow was still cold and dry. Triggered and natural loose wet avalanches are possible in steep terrain where the surface snow becomes saturated by the warmth. Keep in mind that roller balls and/or observed natural loose avalanches indicate the potential for further avalanching while the snow is still warm and sloppy.

weather

It'll be mostly cloudy today, with moderate southerly wind and 8500' high temperatures pushing 50 degrees. Snow showers are likely late tonight, with 1 or 2 inches of accumulation possible, low temperatures around freezing, and slightly increased southwest winds. Snow showers are likely tomorrow, but little in the way of accumulation is expected, west-northwest winds will be moderate on the ridges, and a high temperature of 43 degrees is expected. High pressure will rebuild over the region, ensuring fair weather in the mountains again for the coming weekend.

***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.