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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Monday morning, January 3, 2022
Heightened avalanche conditions and MODERATE danger exist on drifted slopes at upper elevations. Although becoming less likely, people could still trigger dangerous avalanches breaking 4 to 6 feet deep on a buried persistent weak layer near the ground if they venture onto steep upper or mid elevation slopes facing the northern half of the compass..
Conditions are much safer, there is LOW danger, and the snow is generally stable on slopes that were bare or only shallowly covered when snow started falling at the beginning of December, including most sunny and lower elevation slopes.
  • Evaluate snow and terrain carefully, especially drifted slopes at upper elevations.
  • I will continue to avoid and stay out from under northerly facing upper and mid elevation slopes steeper than 30°
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Weather and Snow
The Holiday storms dumped several feet of snow across the Logan Zone, and brought snow totals back up to well above normal for this time of year. There is now 61"of total snow at the 8400' Tony Grove Snotel, containing 109% of normal SWE for the date. I'm reading 4°F at the Hwy 89 summit sheds and 16°F at the summit of Logan Peak, where south winds are blowing about 35 mph and drifting snow in exposed terrain.
Expect increasing clouds and southwest winds today, with high temperatures at 8500' around 25°F, 15 to 22 mph southwest winds with gusts close to 40 mph, and wind chill values as low as -5°F. Southwest winds will increase another notch tonight, and an inch or two of snow is quite possible ahead of more snowy weather tomorrow. Periods of heavy snow and 4 to 8 inches of accumulation is possible on Tuesday, with drifting from fairly strong southwest wind. Snowfall will continue through the work week, with significant accumulations likely in the mountains.
Recent Avalanches
No new avalanches were yet reported in the Logan Zone in 2022, but here's a cool video of an explosive triggered avalanche at Alta from yesterday;
There were some natural avalanches that happened on Providence Peak last week during the Holiday storms like the one below.
Check HERE for all the latest observations and avalanche activity.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
I will continue to avoid mid and upper elevation northerly facing slopes. These slopes have a buried persistent weak layer of weak, sugary facets near the ground that could fracture and produce slab avalanches 4-6 feet deep and hundreds of feet across. Avalanches could be triggered remotely, from a distance or from flat terrain under steep slopes. It's a very different situation at lower elevations and on south facing slopes where this persistent weak layer near the ground doesn't exist.
The photo below is a close up of what the faceted snow looks like. Notice the striations or straight lines that form when the snow crystals change into a weak faceted crystal. Cold temperatures like those in the last couple days cause a temperature gradient in the snowpack and these sugary snow crystals to develop. I am noticing rapid development of faceted snow at low elevations these days, especially where the existing snow is still shallow.
Avalanche Problem #2
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
South winds ramped up yesterday evening, raking the fresh snow off windward slopes and depositing it, creating stiff drifts on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features at upper elevations. People could trigger avalanches of recently wind drifted snow in steep upper elevation terrain today. Also, the south winds are drifting snow right onto suspect northerly facing slopes that are plagued by a persistent weak layer, increasing the load.
  • An avalanche of wind drifted snow overrunning a northerly facing slope with a deeply buried persistent weak layer could step down, include older snow, and become much larger and more destructive.
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.
    Check slope angles and stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30° and adjacent slopes.
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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.
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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