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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Thursday morning, February 24, 2022
Drifting from strong east winds Tuesday night created heightened avalanche conditions and MODERATE danger at mid and upper elevations. Drifts formed on sugary faceted snow in unusual, perhaps unexpected places, and today people could trigger soft slab avalanches of wind drifted snow on slopes steeper than 30°.
Evaluate snow and terrain carefully. Watch for and avoid recently wind drifted snow on steep slopes, especially in and around terrain features like gullies, scoops, sub-ridges, and cliff bands.
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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
The 8400' Tony Grove Snotel reports 1°F this morning, and there is 66 inches of total snow at the site. Winds out of the west are blowing around 20 mph at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, which reports a wind chill value of -26°F this morning.
Tuesday night's strong easterly winds easily picked up light new snow from earlier in the week, and in some areas drifts formed on preexisting weak faceted snow. The drifting created heightened avalanche conditions at mid and upper elevations and near canyon mouths. Because of drifting from the somewhat unusual east winds, people could trigger slab avalanches of wind drifted snow in unexpected places again today.
A couple different parties reported triggering small soft slab avalanches of wind drifted snow in the Bear River Range yesterday.
  • A few snowflakes are floating in the air this morning in the Bear River Range. Expect cloudy skies, cold temperatures, and a little afternoon snow in the mountains again today. 8500' high temperatures will be around 11°F, and 20 mph west winds will create wind chill values as low as -27°F this morning. 1 to 2 inches of accumulation is expected.
  • Snow is likely tonight, with 1 to 3 inches of accumulation possible. Temperatures will drop to around 0°F, and with 15 mph west wind winds, the wind chill value will be as low as -19°F.
  • Some snowfall is expected tomorrow morning, with about an inch possible before it becomes partly sunny in the afternoon. Expect high temperatures around 13°F, and moderate west-northwest winds will create wind chill values around -12°F.
  • Looks like some sun and fair weather are in store for the upcoming weekend, but temperatures will remain pretty cold.
Recent Avalanches
Two unintentionally triggered avalanches were reported yesterday on north facing slopes above 8000'. 1)-A party of skiers remotely triggered from the ridge above a 10" deep and 150' wide pocket of drifted snow in the Mt. Naomi Wilderness. 2)-A rider was caught and carried a short distance and his sled overturned in a soft wind slab avalanche, "15" to 18" deep and 60' wide" a couple miles north of the ID state line in Franklin Basin.
This avalanche in the Mount Naomi Wilderness was remotely triggered from the ridge above. Remote triggering indicates a high likelyhood that the avalanche failed on faceted snow, now a buried persistent weak layer.
A rider was caught and carried a shot distance and his sled overturned in this small avalanche north of the Idaho State Line in Franklin Basin. Is this the canary in the coal mine?
Check out all the recent backcountry observations and avalanche reports from across Utah HERE
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
People could trigger slab avalanches of wind drifted snow in terrain exposed to drifting from somewhat unusual east winds. The east winds easily picked up fresh powder on the surface and deposited it on sugary faceted snow in deceleration zones. The drifting has created stiff wind slabs in unusual, perhaps unexpected places, capping weak snow. Some of these drifts will remain unstable for a while, and the sugary snow that they formed on is now a buried persistent weak layer.
  • Avoid recently drifted snow near canyon mouths and on steep slopes at mid and upper elevations on the lee side of ridges and in and around terrain features like sub-ridges, gullies, and cliff bands.
Loose avalanches (or sluffs) of powder and recrystallized or faceted surface snow remain possible in terrain sheltered from the east winds, on very steep and sustained slopes.
  • Manage loose avalanches 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.
Loose avalanches or sluffs of new snow on the south shoulder of Naomi Peak. (2-22-2022)
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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