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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Friday morning, January 21, 2022
Heightened avalanche conditions exist on drifted upper elevation slopes. Westerly winds drifted a few inches of fresh snow from overnight, likely creating sensitive soft wind slabs. The danger is MODERATE, and people could trigger small avalanches of wind drifted snow. The snow is stable, the danger LOW, and avalanches are unlikely in sheltered terrain and at lower and mid elevations.
  • Evaluate snow and terrain carefully, especially in drifted upper elevation terrain.
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Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
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 23°F with 4 inches of new snow overnight, and there is 6 feet (72 inches) of total snow at the site. Winds out of the northwest are blowing around 25 mph this morning at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, where gusts in the mid-50 mph range were recorded overnight. Expect clearing today and fair weather for the upcoming weekend and beyond. Snowfall should taper off and end this morning and skies will gradually clear today. Steady temperature around 21°F is expected at 8500' today, dropping with clearing skies tonight to around 8°F and moderate east-northeast winds will create wind chill values around -5°F.
A few inches of new snow isn't enough to change avalanche conditions much, but it will cap and preserve weak surface snow created in many areas by high pressure conditions in the last couple weeks. Westerly winds overnight drifted the few inches of fresh snow around at upper elevations, picking it up in open low angled terrain called fetch areas and depositing it downwind where the wind decelerates on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features.
I started up into East Banks (across from Red Banks) in Logan Canyon yesterday to look at the snow. Right away I encountered horrible snow conditions with the thick crust from the 1-6 rainstorm no longer supportable, but now a widespread brittle breakable crust capping a thick layer of very weak dry faceted snow. Needless to say, I didn't go very far.
Recent Avalanches
Due to the benign January weather it's been a couple weeks since any significant avalanche activity occurred in the Logan Zone.
Check HERE for all the latest observations and avalanche activity.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
A few inches of new snow from overnight won't change avalanche conditions much, but westerly winds were plenty strong enough to drift the fresh snow around at upper elevations. Some new drifts are likely be quite sensitive, and people could trigger shallow slabs of wind drifted snow up to about a foot deep on slopes steeper than 30°.
  • watch for and avoid fresh drifts, corniced slopes, and stiffer wind drifted snow in and around terrain features like sub-ridges, gully walls, and cliff bands.
  • Avoid travel on drifted steep slopes above terrain traps like trees or benches.
Avalanche Problem #2
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
  • Although increasingly unlikely as time passes, people still might trigger dangerous avalanches breaking several feet deep on faceted snow near the ground on isolated slopes steeper than 30°. Watch for and avoid very steep slopes with thin snow cover (3 feet or less), especially if you sink into weak snow or can poke your ski pole through loose snow to the ground.
  • It is important to stay in the habit of practicing safe backcountry travel protocols by not exposing more than one person at a time to potential avalanches, and convince your riding companions to check and practice with their avalanche rescue equipment.
Additional Information
  • Always follow safe backcountry travel protocols. Go one person at a time in avalanche terrain, (anytime while traveling on or under backcountry slopes steeper than 30°) 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 to avoid avalanches stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30° and adjacent slopes. Video Here
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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