Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Wednesday - February 24, 2016 - 7:06am
bottom line

LOW (level 1): The snow stability is good on most slopes in the Logan Zone, and avalanches are generally unlikely in the backcountry. Drifting from southwest wind this morning may create pockets with heightened wind slab avalanche conditions at upper elevations. Use normal caution. Carry and practice with your companion avalanche rescue gear and continue to practice wise backcountry travel protocols.




special announcement

We are offering an Avalanche Awareness for Snowmobilers Course on February 25 & 27. For more information and to register go..... HERE

current conditions

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 21 degrees and there's 77 inches of total snow containing 98% of average water for the date. I'm reading 13 degrees at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and southwest winds averaging a bit over 30 mph this morning. Snow stability is generally good in the backcountry, the overall danger is low, and avalanches are unlikely. Today's southwest winds may cause a bit of drifting, and you might be able to trigger small fresh or recently formed wind slabs in some exposed upper elevation areas.

Maintaining some spacing while working our way under the north side of Mendon Peak in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness...(2-23-16)


recent activity
  • It's been several days since any avalanche activity was observed or reported locally.
  • Last Friday (2-19-16) local riders reported a few fresh natural wind slab avalanches involving drifted new snow on the east face of Providence Peak in upper Providence Canyon.
  • Rain saturated the snow and large natural wet avalanches occurred overnight and during the day Monday (2-15-16), and continued for several warm days in Logan Canyon and at lower and mid elevations across the zone. Video Report

  • ***To view our updated list of backcountry observations and avalanche activity from around Utah, go to our observations page

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

Low danger does not mean No danger, and unlikely implies that avalanches are still possible. There are several types of avalanche problems you may run into today. Most of these are of the manageable variety and probably do not pose much threat, but "use normal caution" suggests that you still evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, carry and know how to use all the proper avalanche rescue equipment, and continue to practice wise backcountry travel protocols.

  • Drifting from southwest winds today may create pockets of heightened wind slab conditions at upper elevations.
  • Solar warming could cause a danger of shallow loose wet avalanches entaining soft fresher surface snow on sunny slopes.
  • It's been a couple weeks now since the last reported persistent or deep slab avalanche involving older snow in the Logan Zone, but there still may be a few rogue drifted slopes in outlying or extreme areas out there where you might trigger a dangerous avalanche. Be cautious where the snowpack is shallow or thin and the basal snow is weak.

Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Pockets with heightened wind slab and/or cornice fall conditions may exist in some upper elevation areas.

  • Watch for and avoid fresh or recent drifts on the lee sides of ridges, cross-loaded along sub-ridges, and in and around terrain features like rock outcroppings, gullies, scoops, trees, and saddles.
  • Beware the growing and overhanging ridge-top cornices in some areas, which could break further back than you expect and might trigger wind slab avalanches on drifted slopes below.

weather

It'll be partly sunny in the mountains today, with 8500' high temperatures around 33 degrees and west winds in the 15 mph range. It'll be partly cloudy tonight with a low temperature around 20 degrees and lighter west winds. Expect mostly sunny conditions tomorrow with high temperatures around 37 degrees and continuing moderate west wind. High pressure conditions will remain in place over the region through the work week, and our next chance for a little snow arrives this weekend.

general announcements

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. 

We'll update this advisory throughout the season 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. 


 

Backcountry Responsibility Objective from Trent Meisenheimer on Vimeo.