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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Sunday morning, January 23, 2022
The snow is stable, the avalanche danger LOW, and avalanches are unlikely in the backcountry.
  • Use normal caution.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
Thanks to the generous support of our local resorts and Ski Utah, discount lift tickets are now available. Support the UAC while you ski at the resorts this season. Tickets are available HERE
Weather and Snow
The 8400' Tony Grove Snotel reports 22°F, and there is just under 6 feet (70 inches) of total snow at the site containing 127% of normal SWE for the date. Winds out of the north-northwest are blowing around 10 mph this morning at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station. Expect sunny skies and fair weather in the mountains today, continuing through the upcoming week. High temperatures around 29°F are expected at 8500' today, dropping with clearing skies tonight to around 12°F. Moderate northeast winds are expected today and tonight.

A few inches of new snow didn't change avalanche conditions much, but it capped and preserved weak surface snow created in many areas by high pressure conditions in the last couple weeks. Thursday night, winds drifted the few inches of fresh snow around at upper elevations, but a thin rime-crust formed on the snow surface and this appears to be gluing the shallow drifts in place.
Observers report a widespread thin rime-crust on the new snow surface in the Central and Northern Bear River Range.

Here is what I found in lower East Banks in Logan Canyon on Thursday.
Recent Avalanches
Due to the benign January weather it's been a couple weeks since any significant avalanche activity occurred in the Logan Zone.

Check HERE for all the latest observations and avalanche activity.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
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Likelihood
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Description
Remember that Low avalanche danger doesn't mean No avalanche danger, and people still might trigger avalanches in extreme or isolated very steep backcountry terrain. There are many other hazards in mountain travel that may be more of a concern than avalanche danger today.
  • The snow is hard and slick on some slopes, and a person could easily slip, fall, and slide out of control rapidly down a steep slope.
  • The crusty snow surface could grab a ski and send you head over tea kettle...
  • Going too fast could lead to collisions with trees or other riders.

There are also avalanche concerns, and even though it is unlikely that people will trigger avalanches today it is certainly not impossible.
  • Loose wet avalanches may become possible midday in steep sunny terrain with sun softened snow.
  • Small avalanches of wind drifted snow and cornice falls are possible in upper elevation terrain exposed to the wind.
  • Although increasingly unlikely as time passes, people still might trigger dangerous avalanches breaking several feet deep on faceted snow near the ground on isolated slopes steeper than 30°. Watch for and avoid very steep slopes with thin snow cover (3 feet or less), especially if you sink into weak snow or can poke your ski pole through loose snow to the ground.
  • It is important to stay in the habit of practicing safe backcountry travel protocols by not exposing more than one person at a time to potential avalanches, and convince your riding companions to check and practice with their avalanche rescue equipment.
Additional Information
  • Always follow safe backcountry travel protocols. Go one person at a time in avalanche terrain, (anytime while traveling on or under backcountry slopes steeper than 30°) while the rest of your party watches from a safe area.
  • Check your avalanche rescue equipment, change your batteries, and practice often with your backcountry partners.
    Check slope angles, and to avoid avalanches stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30° and adjacent slopes. Video Here
General Announcements
Who's up for some free avalanche training? Get a refresher, become better prepared for an upcoming avalanche class, or just boost your skills. Go to https://learn.kbyg.org/ and scroll down to Step 2 for a series of interactive online avalanche courses produced by the UAC.
  • Check out all the upcoming education classes and clinics HERE.
  • Please submit your observations from the backcountry HERE.
This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.