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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Tuesday morning, December 21, 2021
Heightened avalanche conditions exist at upper elevations on drifted north-facing slopes where a persistent weak layer of facets near the ground can produce an avalanche. The danger is MODERATE and people could trigger dangerous avalanches remotely, from a distance, or from below. Slopes in sunny terrain and at lower elevations have less snow and a LOW danger.
  • Evaluate snow and terrain carefully.
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High
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Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
Beaver Mountain is opening their lifts tomorrow....
Weather and Snow
The winter solstice is here, and today is the shortest of the year, but pretty nice fair weather is expected. The sun will be out and it won't feel much like winter today in the mountains, with high temperatures at 9000' topping out around 32° F. We can expect a much moderated west-southwest wind blowing around 15 mph along the ridges. The weather will change back to winter in the next couple days. Southwest winds and clouds will increase tomorrow, and light snow will start falling in the mountains by tomorrow night. An active winter weather pattern with periods of heavy snow and strong winds is likely to pick up steam on Thursday and continue through the Christmas Weekend, with significant snow accumulations likely.
An observer sent this picture of nice surface hoar feathers on the snow surface in the backcountry near Beaver Mountain. This can become a future persistent weak layer if it is buried intact.
Recent Avalanches
A couple skier triggered avalanches occurred Saturday in high north facing terrain. The largest was likely remotely triggered as it was observed near an uptrack near the Tony Grove-Blind Hollow Saddle at about 8800' on a north facing slope. The 2 to 3 foot deep avalanches failed on a persistent weak layer consisting of sugary faceted snow capping a crust near the ground.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
A buried persistent weak layer consisting of sugary faceted snow lurks near the ground in some upper elevation north facing terrain. In many places up high the old snow from October and early November is capped by a hard icy rain/rime crust. On some slopes a thin layer of small facets exists above this crust, the December snow is not well bonded to it, and local avalanches have failed on this weak layer.
  • People report triggering audible collapses or "whumpfs" in the backcountry this weekend. These heart-stopping booming noises indicate unstable snow and potential for dangerous avalanches failing on a persistent weak layer.
  • Collapses are often accompanied by shooting cracks in the snow surface. Recently, we've seen some of these extend hundreds of feet away from where the collapse was triggered. Cracking like this is a sure sign of instability.
Additional Information
  • Always follow safe backcountry travel protocols. Go one person at a time in avalanche terrain, 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.
  • Be very careful, keep your speed down, and stay in control. Encounters with shallowly buried rocks or down trees in the early season have led to many season-ending injuries.
  • The gate at the bottom of the Tony Grove Road was closed yesterday to preserve snow on the road for grooming.
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.
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