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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Friday morning, February 18, 2022
Today, the avalanche danger is LOW in the backcountry. Avalanches are unlikely, and the snow is stable on most slopes with only a few exceptions.
Use normal caution. Watch for and avoid (1) fresh drifts on steep upper elevation slopes, and (2) loose recrystallized snow or sun-warmed fresh snow sluffing in very steep terrain.
Low
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High
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Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
  • The Utah Avalanche Center will be holding a BC 101 class in Logan on Feb 24-25. This class is great for those new to the backcountry or wanting to refresh their skills. Click here for details and registration.
  • 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
Three or four inches of new snow accumulated at upper elevations with the midweek snow showers. The new snow whitened the views and improved backcountry riding conditions a bit, and we'll see pleasant warmer weather in the mountains today and tomorrow. The 8400' Tony Grove Snotel reports 18°F this morning, and there is 65 inches of total snow at the site containing 93% of normal SWE for the date. Winds out of the northwest are blowing a little under 20 mph this morning at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station.
A few inches of new snow isn't enough to change avalanche conditions much, although people may encounter shallow drifts or soft wind slabs at upper elevations that are sensitive to triggering. The snow is generally stable across the Logan Zone, and it's been over a month since we've seen any significant avalanche activity. After a month of dry weather, the fresh snow landed on variable snow surface conditions, ranging from soft and shallow recrystallized "powder" to thin, breakable, and bulletproof crusts. Although stable, the preexisting snow is very weak in many areas, and the new thin layer of fresh snow capped and preserved widespread layers of loose and sugary faceted snow.
  • Today will be sunny with 8500' high temperatures near 30°F. West-northwest winds are expected to blow around 15 mph.
  • Tonight, temperatures will drop to around 14°F under mostly clear skies. West-northwest winds will blow around 15 mph, driving the wind chill values down to around 0°F.
  • It will be nice and sunny in the mountains again tomorrow, with high temperatures around 34°F and increasing 15 to 20 mph west-southwest winds.
  • A winter storm will impact the area early next week, with increasing wind and clouds and some snow likely beginning to fall in the Logan Zone on Sunday afternoon.
  • It looks like frontal passage will be early in the morning on Monday, snow will fall in Cache Valley and several inches of accumulation is likely in the mountains.
Clouds and a little fresh snow in the Bear River Range is a welcome change from weeks of recent sunny weather.
Recent Avalanches
No avalanches were reported recently in the Logan Zone other than a few sluffs or loose avalanches in steep terrain.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
LOW avalanche danger doesn't mean NO avalanche danger. Although avalanches are unlikely exceptions might be found, mainly in steep upper elevation terrain.
  1. Today people might trigger shallow soft slab avalanches of drifted fresh snow in wind exposed upper elevation terrain. Drifting from west winds formed soft wind slabs capping weak faceted snow, and some of these may be sensitive to human triggering. Avoid fresh drifts at upper elevations on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features like sub-ridges, gullies, and cliff bands.
  2. Loose avalanches (or sluffs) of recrystallized or faceted surface snow are possible on very steep and sustained slopes. Also, solar heating will cause the shallow fresh snow to become moist and prone to sluffing in steep sunny terrain. Manage these by staying out of constricting terrain, like drainage gullies, and moving out of the fall line so you don't get caught by your own sluff. Avoid being caught and pulled into terrain traps below you like trees, gullies, or benches.
Northwest winds blew down Providence Canyon and built shallow drifts on the quarry slag pile. People might trigger shallow avalanches of wind drifted snow in steep terrain today.
People might trigger loose avalanches of powder and faceted snow or damp sluffs entraining sun-warmed fresh snow in steep terrain today.
Additional Information
  • Now is a great time to practice your avalanche rescue skills. Thanks to the generous support of Northstar, the Franklin Basin Beacon Training Park is up and running. The park is located directly west of the parking lot and is open for anyone to use. All you need is your beacon and probe. Please do not dig up the transmitters.
  • 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. (practice anytime while traveling on or under backcountry slopes steeper than 30°)
  • Check your avalanche rescue equipment, change your batteries, and practice often with your backcountry partners.
    Check slope angles, and to avoid avalanche terrain stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30° and adjacent slopes. Video Here
General Announcements
Special thank you to Polaris and Northstar...Video Here
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.
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