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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Tuesday morning, November 29, 2022
Yesterday's winter storm created areas with CONSIDERABLE danger at upper elevations in the backcountry. Heavy snow and drifting overloaded slopes with preexisting weak snow and created drifts or soft wind slabs in avalanche starting zones. Today, people are likely to trigger 1 to 2-foot-thick slab avalanches if they venture onto steep upper elevation slopes with recent deposits of wind drifted snow. Elevated avalanche conditions also exist in more sheltered terrain and on lower and mid elevation slopes where loose and soft slab avalanches of storm snow are possible.
  • Evaluate snow and terrain carefully, make cautious decisions, and avoid steep slopes with deposits of wind drifted storm snow.
  • The snow is still so shallow that people could be seriously hurt if they are caught and carried over rocks in even a small avalanche.
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Special Announcements
Our annual party and fundraiser is coming up on December 6 in Logan at the Cache. 19th Annual Utah Avalanche Center Pray for Snow Party and Fundraiser information and tickets HERE.
Weather and Snow
I'm reading a bitter 4° F on Logan Peak this morning, and a 20 mph west-northwest wind creating a -17 °F wind chill value. It's snowing nicely across the Bear River Range this morning, and today will certainly be a nice powder day in the backcountry, although dangerous conditions exist on drifted upper elevation slopes.... (See Beaver Mountain Webcams HERE. and Cherry Peak's HERE )
Thankfully, it appears that active wintery weather will continue for a bit, with the next in a small train of winter storms expected to impact the area on around Thursday night, with another foot of snow possible... and looks like another one on the tracks for the weekend.
Sensitive drifts or soft wind slabs built and are building up and getting thicker as snow is drifted onto steep upper elevation slopes. In exposed terrain ridge top winds are certainly strong enough to move snow, and they continue to build stiffer drifts out of the nice light powder. Under the fresh snow, early season snow conditions exist across the Logan Zone, with only about a foot-and-a-half to three feet of total snow covering the rocks on upper elevation slopes. There are numerous shallowly buried land mines out there. The early November snow is especially loose and sugary around rock
Recent Avalanches
See our updated list of observed avalanches from across Utah HERE
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
People could trigger 1 to 2 foot thick slab avalanches of wind drifted snow if they venture onto exposed upper elevation slopes. It is always wise to avoid travel on steep slopes with deposits of wind drifted snow, but today's fresh powder may hide the obvious evidence of drifting.
  • Wind slabs often form on the lee side of exposed ridges and in and around terrain features. Watch for and avoid drifts on gully walls, under cliff bands, along sub-ridges, in scoops, saddles, and sinks.
  • Drifted snow is stiffer and more compacted than non-drifted snow.
  • Freshly formed wind slabs can be quite sensitive and are often remotely triggered.
  • Shooting cracks in drifted snow are a sure sign of instability.
Avalanche Problem #2
New Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
People are likely to trigger loose avalanches of fresh or storm snow on very steep slopes. These should be generally manageable, but could cause problems if you are pushed off a cliff or into trees or other terrain traps below. Soft slab avalanches of storm snow are possible for people to trigger, even on sheltered and mid and lower elevation slopes steeper than 30 degrees.
The new snow fell on bare ground or very shallow snow on low and many mid elevation sunny slopes, (W, SW, S, SE) so the danger of avalanches is low, but potential might be high for hitting rocks.
Additional Information
  • Take the all-new online avalanche courses the UAC built for Know Before You Go or take other online courses listed on the KBYG website (Develop skills -> Online Learning).
  • Get your avalanche rescue gear ready for winter. Put fresh batteries in your transceiver and update the firmware. Inspect your shovel and probe. Get your airbag backpack ready by possibly doing a test deployment and update the firmware if it is an electric version.
General Announcements
Please submit your observations from the backcountry HERE.
For a list of avalanche classes from the Utah Avalanche Center go HERE
For information on where you can ride your sled or snowbike, check out this map of the winter travel plan for the Tony Grove and Franklin Basin Areas HERE.
The Tony Grove Road and other forest roads in the Logan Ranger District are not maintained for wheeled vehicles in the winter.
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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