Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Monday - February 29, 2016 - 6:28am
bottom line

LOW (level 1): The snow is quite stable on most slopes in the backcountry, but areas with heightened wind slab conditions may develop at upper elevations with today's weather. Use normal caution, but watch for and avoid growing cornices and fresh deposits of drifted snow on steep slopes.
current conditions

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 30 degrees this morning, and there's 71 inches of total snow now containing 94% of average water for the date. It's 23 degrees at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, showing 15 mph west winds. It's getting harder to find areas with soft recrystallized snow and the "pow" seems limmitted to sheltered north facing terrain. I found pretty good smooth fast spring-like riding conditions yesterday afternoon in the sun on slopes with a softened surface on otherwise supportable snow.

Veiws from the Mendon Area on 2-28-16 of recent cornice-fall activity on east facing slopes in the Wellsville Range.
recent activity
  • Observers report a few natural loose wet avalanches, which occurred midday Friday (2-26-16) on east facing sunny slopes. And, this weekend I observed a large recent cornice-fall avalanche off the south ridge of Mt Magog
  • Natural dry sluffs and minor soft wind slab avalanches were fairly common at upper elevations last week, and on Friday, two separate parties each reported triggering a handful of apparently easily managed small soft slabs in very steep north facing terrain.

    ***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

There's not much in the way of transportable snow on the surface these days, but some new accumulation is possible and heightened wind slab avalanche and cornice fall conditions may develop with today's weather in some upper elevation terrain.

  • Beware large overhanging ridge-top cornices, which could break further back than you expect and might trigger avalanches on drifted slopes below.
  • As usual, watch for and avoid 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.
  • Older, hard wind slabs can be like mouse traps, sometimes allowing people to get well out on them before releasing.
  • Be cautious in previously drifted areas where the snowpack is shallow or thin and the basal snow is weak and rotten (snow crystals are loose and faceted)

weather

Snow showers are likely in the mountains this morning and we can expect mostly cloudy conditions with a high at 8500' around 34 degrees. It'll be breezy, with 20 to 25 mph west winds on the ridges. Less than an inch of accumulation is expected. It'll be partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 19 degrees and a gradually decreasing northwest wind. It'll be partly sunny tomorrow, with high temperature around 38 degrees. The next round of unsettled weather is expected Tuesday night and Wednesday, with snow showers but again little in the way of accumulation. High pressure conditions will then build and remain over the region for the remainder of the week.
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.