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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Monday morning, February 1, 2021
Enticing deep powder conditions may lure you onto steeper slopes, but we recommend people resist that temptation. Areas with CONSIDERABLE danger exist on steep upper elevation slopes facing northwest through southeast in the Logan Zone. People could trigger avalanches of wind drifted snow, as well as more dangerous avalanches involving old snow and failing on a widespread buried persistent weak layer. It will be warm today and loose wet avalanches are possible in the heat of the day on steep slopes with saturated snow. Avalanches are possible at all elevations, but you can find safer conditions in sheltered and lower angled terrain.
  • Evaluate snow and terrain carefully and make conservative decisions.
  • Stay off and out from under drifted slopes steeper than about 30 degrees.
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Moderate
Considerable
High
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Weather and Snow
About 10 inches of new snow fell Friday night and Saturday at upper elevations and there is just under four feet of total snow now at the 8400' TGLU1 Snotel in the Central Bear River Range. The overall snowpack is generally still quite shallow across the Logan Zone. South winds are blowing 20 to 25 mph this morning and it's a balmy 27 °F at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station. Areas with dangerous avalanche conditions exist on drifted slopes in the backcountry, especially on upper elevation slopes facing northwest through southeast. The powder is pretty deep up high so you may be temped onto steeper slopes, but we recommend people resist that temptation and continue stay off and out from under slopes steeper than about 30 degrees.
The sun will be out, temperatures will be pretty mild, and it will be another lovely day in the mountains. Expect 9000' high temperatures around 33°F, a moderate south-southwest breeze, and wind chill values as low as 0°F. Tomorrow will be sunny, with mountain temperatures in the upper 20s. Expect fair and mild weather for the next few days, with the next chance for some snow coming Tuesday night and Wednesday.
I'm unsure if this was a natural avalanche on the east face of Doubletop Mountain, but it is near the site of an avalanche triggered by riders Saturday (1-30-2021) in Doubletop Bowl.
Recent Avalanches
Tragically, a skier was killed in an avalanche on Square Top in the backcountry above Park City on Saturday. Preliminary Report
Locally: Saturday (1-30-2021), Riders triggered a good sized avalanche on the east face of Doubletop Mountain (or Gun Sight). Nobody was caught, but another sizable avalanche sympathetically released, and both avalanches crossed the party's previous tracks on the slope.
Evidence of a large natural avalanche, which likely occurred during our recent storm Friday night, was observed yesterday in the Mt. Naomi Wilderness. The avalanche on an east facing slope at around 9000' in elevation in Morning Glory Bowl in Cottonwood Canyon was two or three feet deep and estimated as being around 900' wide.
Friday (1-29-2021), a snowboard rider triggered a 1.5' to 3' deep and 100' wide avalanche of wind drifted snow on a relatively low angled, 30°east facing slope at around 9000' in the northern Bear River Range. No one was caught but the avalanche overran a few sets of tracks from previous runs.
There were numerous avalanches across the Utah mountains last weekend, especially on Saturday. Visit our avalanche list HERE.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Very weak sugary or faceted snow near the ground is widespread across the region, and people could trigger avalanches where a slab of more cohesive snow has formed on top of the weak snow.
  • Avalanches failing on a buried persistent weak layer might be triggered remotely, from a distance, or worse from below!
  • Cracking and collapsing of the snow are a red flag, indicating unstable snow conditions.
These large faceted snow grains make up a nasty buried persistent weak layer that is widespread in the Logan Zone. It exists on slopes at all elevations across the zone. (Stump Hollow, 1-30-2021)
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
South-southwest winds today will continue to drift snow into lee slope avalanche starting zones, and build drifts and wind slabs on steep slopes at upper elevations. Drifting has created thick cohesive slabs, and people could trigger avalanches of wind drifted snow in the backcountry again today.
  • Watch for and avoid drifted snow near ridge tops and in and around terrain features like gullies, scoops, cliff bands, and sub ridges.
Avalanche Problem #3
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Loose wet avalanches are possible in the heat of the day on steep slopes with saturated surface snow.
Additional Information
Do you have the essential avalanche rescue gear (transceiver, probe, and shovel) and do you know how to use them? Watch this video to see how the three pieces of equipment work together. HERE
Please keep practicing with the Beacon Training Park at the Franklin Basin Trailhead. Test yourself and your riding partners. It is free, fun, and easy to use.
General Announcements
Thanks to the generous support of our local resorts, Ski Utah, and Backcountry, discount lift tickets are now available. Support the UAC while you ski at the resorts this season. Tickets are available here.
Visit this website with information about Responsible Winter Recreation by the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation.
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 forecast by around 7:30 tomorrow morning.
This forecast is from the USDA Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. The forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
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