Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Monday - December 19, 2016 - 5:34am
bottom line

Heightened avalanche conditions exist in backcountry, with human-triggered avalanches possible on steep upper and mid elevation slopes.

  • Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, especially at upper elevations.
  • Watch from a safe zone and only expose one person at a time while crossing steep slopes.
  • Practice companion rescue with your backcountry partners.



special announcement

***Discount lift tickets for Beaver Mountain, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and the Central Wasatch resorts are now available, donated by the resorts to benefit the Utah Avalanche Center. Details and order information here. These make a great holiday gift and all proceeds go towards paying for avalanche forecasting and education!
current conditions

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 8 degrees this morning and 108% of average water content for the date. It's 4 degrees at the Franklin Basin ID Snotel to the north, reporting 46 inches of total snow on the ground. It's 12 degrees below zero and the winds are calm at the UDOT Hwy 89 summit station. You'll find nice powder riding in the backcountry today, with a few fluffy inches on a solid and supportable rain-crust down low and deeper powder as you ascend to upper elevations....

recent activity

Over the weekend, we noticed a few good sized fresh natural avalanches in the zone... These occurred sometime Friday during the height of the storm.

Large natural avalanches in the Wellsville Range and Wood Camp occurred during the height of the storm, Friday 12-16-16.
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

Although the danger is slowly diminishing, triggered persistent slab avalanches remain possible on steep slopes at upper and mid elevations. While many slopes show good and increasing stability, weak layers consisting of surface hoar or small-grained near surface facets exist on others.. The only way to know is to get out your shovel, dig down below the new powder, and examine the preexisting snow.
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

***Dangerous deep slab avalanches, failing on weak faceted snow or depth hoar near the ground are possible, especially on upper elevation north facing slopes. Drifting snow at the end of last week, and the load from Friday's heavy snow, created heightened deep slab conditions on slopes with preexisting poor snow structure. Dig to the ground and look at the snow at the very bottom of the snowpack. If you find unconsolidated larger grained facets or depth hoar, and you can easily stick your hand in it, beware of deep slab potential.
Avalanche Problem 3
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

It's fairly calm currently, but southwest winds will pick up today, and there's plenty of nice soft powder on the snow surface to drift about. West winds will intensify a bit overnight, and we can expect breezy conditions, with a northwest wind tomorrow. Drifts and wind slabs may appear rounded and chalky and they may produce hollow, drum-like sounds. Watch for and avoid deposits of drifted snow in and around terrain features like gullies, scoops, sub-ridges, and cliff-bands.
weather

A warmer westerly flow will develop over the Great Basin today and Tuesday ahead of a cold front. The front will move into northern Utah late Tuesday then out of the state Wednesday morning. A potentially stronger storm system looks to impact the area over the weekend.

Weather Forecast: Tony Grove Lake (41.897,-111.6535), Elevation: 8800'
Today: Increasing clouds, with a high near 23. Wind chill values as low as -12. West southwest wind 9 to 17 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a steady temperature around 18. West wind around 15 mph.
Tuesday: Snow likely, mainly after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Wind chill values as low as -1. Breezy, with a west wind 17 to 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Tuesday Night: Snow, mainly before 11pm. Low around 8. Wind chill values as low as -1. Blustery, with a west northwest wind 20 to 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 23. North wind 6 to 14 mph.

general announcements

The early season is a great time to refresh yourself and practice companion rescue techniques with your partners. Companion Rescue Practice Video

Check out Avalanche Canada's "Rescue at Cherry Bowl" story HERE

Between now and Jan 15th: Donate to the Utah Avalanche Center by shopping at Whole Foods Market Utah! When you visit any Utah Whole Foods Market locations, bring your re-usable bags, Whole Foods will donate a dime per bag to the Utah Avalanche Center - if you say DONATE my bag credit.

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include @utavy in your Instagram. In the Logan Area you can get ahold of your local avalanche forcaster, me (Toby Weed), at 435-757-7578

This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always exist.