Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Saturday - March 28, 2015 - 7:06am
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MODERATE (Level 2): After mild overnight temperatures, daytime warming of the already moist surface snow will cause heightened avalanche conditions, with triggered and natural loose wet avalanches entraining significant piles of saturated surface snow possible in the backcountry.

  • Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully.
  • Avoid steep slopes with warmth softened saturated snow, especially in upper elevation terrain.

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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

We're moving into a generally more predictable spring pattern, and backcountry avalanches will become more likely during the heat of the day. An early start and departure this time of year can mitigate much of the wet avalanche worry, but a poor overnight refreeze will lead to earlier softening of the surface melt-freeze crust. The Tony Grove Snotel reported around 18 inches of dense new snow with the Monday/Tuesday storm, containing close to 3 inches of water, but high angle sun and warmth in the last few days turned the powder to mush, even at upper elevations. There's now 60 inches of total snow containing 80% of average water for the date, and it's currently 44 degrees at the 8400' site. It's 29 degrees at the UDOT Hwy 89 Summit weather station, with fairly light north wind this morning after moderate westerly winds yesterday evening.
recent activity

Observers report triggering a few manageable loose wet sluffs yesterday in steep upper elevation terrain, otherwise no significant avalanches were reported involving this week's new snow.

****Video observation of last week's wet activity in the Tony Grove Area......HERE

****Check out our crowd-sourced avalanche information and recent backcountry observations from across the state.........HERE
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

It did not freeze overnight at many stations, and I'm reading 44 degrees at 5:00 AM at the 8400' Tony Grove Snotel. Despite some incoming clouds and a bit of a breeze, the sun will be out in full force again today, and it will quickly warm the moist surface snow. Loose wet avalanches involving moist surface snow and entraining significant piles of debris will become more likely on steep slopes with saturated surface snow as the day warms.
weather

Expect mostly sunny conditions today, with mountain high temperatures around 50 degrees at upper elevations and an increasing westerly breeze. Snow showers and perhaps a little thunder are possible after noon. Temperatures should drop just below freezing, the winds will diminish somewhat, and clearing is expected overnight. Should be clear in the mountains with high temperatures in the mid forties tomorrow. Some showery periods are possible in the upcoming week, but there's no sign of any impending powder storms.

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, we'll post these advisories intermittently and as conditions change in the backcountry.  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.