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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Monday morning, February 21, 2022
Heightened avalanche conditions exist at upper elevations in the backcountry. The danger is MODERATE and people could trigger small slab avalanches of wind drifted snow or loose sluffs involving fresh powder and recrystallized snow in very steep terrain. Avalanches are unlikely and the danger remains LOW on most lower and mid elevation slopes.
Evaluate snow and terrain carefully. Watch for and avoid (1) fresh deposits of wind drifted snow on steep upper elevation slopes, and (2) powder and loose recrystallized snow sluffing in very steep terrain.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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 4 inches of new snow from overnight. It's 19°F this morning, and there is 67 inches of total snow at the site containing 90% of normal SWE for the date. Winds out of the northwest are blowing around 15 mph this morning at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station.
The new snow has created heightened avalanche conditions at upper elevations and people could trigger small avalanches of wind drifted snow and/or loose avalanches entraining powder and faceted snow on steep upper elevation slopes. Otherwise, the snow is generally stable across the Logan Zone, and it's been well over a month since we've seen any significant avalanche activity. I found variable snow surface conditions in White Pine Canyon Saturday, ranging from soft recrystallized "powder" to thick wind board and thin breakable, and thick bulletproof crusts. Although stable, in many areas the preexisting snow is very sugary and weak, and it's plagued by complicating and increasingly fryable crusts. video here
  • Expect cloudy skies and dropping temperatures in the mountains today. Snow is likely, but not much accumulation is expected. 8500' temperatures will drop to around 12°F, and 10 to 15 mph west-northwest winds will create wind chill values around -4°F.
  • Snow is quite possible tonight, with less than an inch of accumulation expected. It will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures around 2°F, and moderate west-northwest winds, veering from the east-northeast by morning and driving wind chill values down to around -10°F.
  • Unsettled weather will continue through the upcoming week, with much colder temperatures and periods of snow showers in the mountains, but no real sign of significant accumulations in sight.
Recent Avalanches
Other than a few sluffs or avalanches of loose snow in steep terrain, no avalanches were reported recently in the Logan Zone.
Check out recent observations and avalanche reports from across Utah HERE
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Avalanche Problem #1
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
  1. Today people might trigger shallow slab avalanches of wind drifted snow in exposed upper elevation terrain. Drifting from west winds last week formed wind slabs capping weak faceted snow. More drifting occurred with last night's storm, creating new drifts. These and some of the older drifts may be sensitive to human triggering. Avoid drifted snow 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 powder and recrystallized or faceted surface snow are possible in sheltered terrain, 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.
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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