Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Wednesday - March 16, 2016 - 6:50am
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CONSIDERABLE (level 3): Stellar deep Utah powder in the backcountry, but areas with potentially dangerous wind slab and cornice fall conditions exist. Human triggered avalanches are likely in some drifted upper elevation terrain. The danger of loose wet avalanches will skyrocket if the sun pops out for a while and warms slopes with significant deposits of new snow. Use careful snow and terrain evaluation and cautious decision making in the backcountry, and continue to avoid steep drifted slopes at upper elevations.




special announcement

***Please take time to complete a quick survey that will help us better serve you in the future. HERE

current conditions

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 20 degrees ​with snowfall continuing overnight and around two-and-a-half feet of new powder ! The station shows 3.2" of snow water equivalent in the last 48 hrs and 1.3" in the last 24. There's now 96 inches of total snow containing 102% of average water for the date. I'm reading 13 degrees at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, but the wind sensor still appears to be encased in rime. Mt Ogden shows a bit of a bump in wind speeds this morning, with sustained westerlies averaging 25 to 35 mph. Beaver Mt expects another very good powder day, with periods of heavy snow all day yesterday refilling tracks, and several more inches of accumulation overnight.



We found very nice deep powder riding conditions in the Bear River Range backcountry yesterday (3-15-16).


recent activity
  • I was able to trigger a small soft slab on a very steep test slope in the Steam Mill Canyon area yesterday. The slab was only about 10' wide and 18" deep, releasing on a layer of graupel from Saturday's thunder squall. The snow was fairly stable in other tests and we did not see any evidence of recent natural activity.
  • A couple different parties of riders in the Franklin Basin Area triggered several good sized but apparently manageable loose wet avalanches entraining the new snow at upper elevations Thursday, and some daytime natural and triggered wet activity continued across the zone at upper elevations through the weekend due to exceptionally warm mountain temperatures.

***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

Areas with potentially dangerous wind slab avalanche and cornice fall conditions exist in drifted upper elevation terrain. Sustained westerly wind, sometimes during periods of heavy snowfall in the past couple days continued yesterday evening and overnight. The wind picked up fresh powder in upper elevation fetch areas and drifted it into lee slope avalanche starting zones.

  • Avoid recent drifts and stiffer wind slabs 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. Cracking is a sign of potential instability.
  • Beware large overhanging ridge-top cornices, which could break further back than you expect and might trigger avalanches on drifted slopes below. Natural cornice falls are possible, and will become likely when the sun comes out and mountain temperatures warm up again..

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

If it stays cold and cloudy, there will be no loose wet avalanche problem. But, if the sun pops out for a bit and moistens the fresh snow, loose wet avalanches entraining the sticky fresh snow will become likely and could be fairly large.

weather

From the National Weather Service in SLC. A COOL AND SOMEWHAT MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL PERSIST OVER NORTHERN UTAH TODAY. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL RETURN TO THE REGION LATE IN THE WEEK.

Today: A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 27. Wind chill values as low as -1. West wind 15 to 17 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. West wind 15 to 17 mph. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 29. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 22 mph. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

general announcements

The National Avalanche Center recently completed an animated tutorial on the North American Avalanche Danger Scale. 


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 avalance 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.