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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Thursday morning, December 26, 2019
You can find mostly stable snow and LOW avalanche danger on most slopes, especially in sheltered terrain and at mid and lower elevations. Areas with MODERATE danger exist on some upper elevation slopes, and you might trigger an avalanche of wind drifted snow. Dangerous avalanches failing on a persistent weak layer near the ground are unlikely but still possible on isolated upper elevation rocky or thin slopes facing northwest through east.
  • Evaluate snow and terrain carefully.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Weather and Snow
It's 18°F at the 8400' Tony Grove Snotel this morning, and there's an inch of new snow. I'm reading 45 inches of total snow, with 109% of average SWE for the date. It's 14°F on Logan Peak, and the wind is blowing from the south-southwest this morning around 14 mph.
A skiff of holiday snow did wonders to refresh conditions in the backcountry, and it wasn't enough to increase the avalanche danger much. The danger is generally Low and the snow is stable on most slopes in the Logan Zone, but heightened conditions exist on some drifted upper elevation slopes. Dangerous avalanches failing on a dormant persistent weak layer near the ground are unlikely for a person to trigger, but remain a possibility on isolated upper elevation slopes, especially on very steep rocky slopes with thin snow cover.
A few more snowflakes could fall in the mountains this morning, but not much in the way of accumulation is expected. It will be partly sunny with 8500' high temperatures around 22°F and 5 to 8 mph west-southwest winds. It will be partly cloudy tonight, with low temperatures around 9°F, and 5 to 7 mph west-southwest wind causing wind chill around -1°F. It should be partly sunny tomorrow with high temperatures near 21°F, west-northwest wind around 7 mph and wind chill values around 0°F.
Recent Avalanches
No new avalanches were reported in the Logan Zone in the last week.
We checked out a large natural avalanche in the Central Wood Camp Bowls. (12-17-19)
Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Human triggered avalanches involving wind drifted snow are possible on some upper elevation slopes. Shallow, soft drifts of fresh snow may still be sensitive today, and even small avalanches can be very dangerous in shallow snow conditions, because you could be dragged into rocks or stumps.
  • Watch for and avoid stiffer drifted snow in and around terrain features like cliff bands, scoops, gully walls, and sub-ridges.
  • While soft, fresh drifts may be quite sensitive, harder wind drifts might allow a person to get well out on them before releasing.
Avalanche Problem #2
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Weak sugary, faceted snow from late October still lurks near the ground at upper elevations on northwest through east facing slopes. Although the persistent weak layer is currently dormant and it is unlikely for a person to trigger one, large, destructive, and very dangerous avalanches are still possible on isolated slopes with poor snow structure. Deep slab avalanches might be triggered from a shallower area of the slab, so it's a good plan to avoid steep, thin, rocky terrain.
General Announcements
Remember the Beaver Mountain Backside is the backcountry. Buddy up! Everyone venturing beyond the ski area boundary should have a partner(s), beacon, probe, and shovel.
Thanks to the generous support of our Utah ski resorts and Ski Utah, we have discount lift tickets available. All proceeds from these go towards paying for avalanche forecasting and education! Get your tickets HERE.
Consider taking an avalanche class, there are many different options. Click on the Education menu for a full list of classes from the UAC and other providers. Check out the Know Before You Go eLearning program for free, online, avalanche classes.... HERE
Need a Christmas present for your favorite backcountry partner? Get one of these cool t-shirts to support the UAC and other avalanche centers across the U.S. HERE
It's key to head into the early avalanche season with the proper mindset. In this podcast, we talk with UAC program director Bo Torrey. Bo talks about particular risks unique to the early season, tips and tricks for knocking the rust off your early season rescue skills, and charts out the path forward with avalanche education. HERE
EMAIL ADVISORY. If you would like to get the daily advisory by email you subscribe HERE.
Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche observations....HERE. You can also call us at 801-524-5304, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.
I will update this advisory before about 7:30 tomorrow morning.
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