Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Friday - March 20, 2015 - 6:53am
bottom line

MODERATE (level 2): Heightened wet avalanche conditions will develop again on steep backcountry slopes after yet another night without a good refreeze, midday temperatures at upper elevations warming to around 50 degrees, and rapidly softening saturated snow.

  • Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, especially near cliffs or under cornices.
  • Avoid travel on melt-softened wet snow in shallow or rocky mid and upper elevation areas.

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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,
current conditions

Heightened wet avalanche conditions still exist during the heat of the day in the backcountry. The snow in many areas is lacking a good overnight refreeze again, and powerful high angle sun and 50 degree temperatures at 9000' will once again cause the snow to soften and create a rising avalanche danger with saturated snow on some steep slopes. The Tony Grove Snotel reports 57 inches of total snow containing 81% of average water for the date. Temperatures did not drop below freezing last night again, and it's 36 degrees at 8400'. I'm reading 34 degrees at Beaver Mountain, and light westerly winds.

Natural wet avalanches look like hot wax running off the mountain-sides. Mt. Magog from the east, 3-17-2015
recent activity

Widespread natural loose wet avalanches occurred across the Logan Zone during the heat of the day earlier in the week, and we observed natural activity on west, north, and east facing slopes at mid and upper elevations.

***Watch "Natural Wet Avalanches up in Tony Grove," an observation video from yesterday,(3-17-2015),.......... HERE

Recent natural wet avalanches on the north side of Tony Grove Lake. (3-17-2015)
Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 12 hours
description

Wet avalanches are possible again in some steep terrain today, especially during the afternoon heat. Avoid shallow or rocky areas with melt softened and saturated snow, and avoid travel under cliffs and ridge-top cornices, which may fail in the midday warmth and trigger wet avalanches below.
weather

It'll be sunny and mild in the mountains again, with a high temperature at 9000' around 50 degrees and light to moderate southwest winds. It'll be mostly clear tonight, (which will help refreeze the surface snow at least), with an expected low temperature around 34 degrees and continuing southwest winds. It'll be partly cloudy tomorrow, with high temperatures around 50 degrees again and increasing southwest wind. We might see a bit of snow in the mountains, and at least some much needed cooler temperatures early next week, starting around Monday.

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

general announcements

 

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

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. 

 As we're rapidly heading into spring, next week we'll begin posting these advisories intermittently and as conditions change.  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.