Avalanche Advisory
Advisory: Logan Area Mountains Issued by Toby Weed for Friday - March 21, 2014 - 7:05am
bottom line

Snow stability is good and the danger is mostly LOW or level 1 in the backcountry this morning. Avalanches are generally unlikely, but triggered wind slab avalanches and cornice-falls are possible in drifted upper elevation terrain. Heightened conditions could develop and the danger of wet avalanches may rise to MODERATE or level 2 on some sunny slopes in the midday heat. Use normal caution. Avoid drifted slopes and large cornices at upper elevations and steep sunny slopes with saturated fresh snow in the heat of the day.

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special announcement

Sale on all remaining discount lift tickets donated to the Utah Avalanche Center from Beaver Mountain, Wolf Mountain, Sundance, and Brian Head: The few remaining tickets are being blown out with all proceeds used to pay for avalanche advisories and education. Go here to get your tickets.

Snow coverage and conditions are stellar at Beaver Mountain this spring. 3-12-2014
current conditions

The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400' reports 26 degrees, and there's 110 inches of total snow, with 134% of average water content for the date. It's 16 degrees at the 9700' CSI Logan Peak weather station, and I'm reading average wind speeds in the lower twenties from the west-northwest. You'll find a bit of settled powder up high in sheltered terrain, but exposed slopes are either scoured or drifted. The dusty snow is more spring-like down at mid and lower elevations and in sunny terrain.

A little fresh dusty snow from the middle of the week capping an even dustier surface, visible where this small cornice failed near the Top of the Garden City Bowls. 3-19-2014 (Pagnucco)
recent activity

It's been about three weeks since any significant avalanches stepping into old snow occurred in the Logan Zone. Shallow wind slabs and cornice falls are fairly frequent during and just after the spring storms, and easily predicted loose wet avalanches have been common with solar heating and seasonal warmth affecting fresh snow.

Visit our Backcountry Observations Page for more details.
Avalanche Problem 1
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 24 hours
description

Wind slab avalanches involving drifted fresh snow up to about a foot deep are possible in wind-exposed upper elevation terrain. These should be mostly of the manageable variety for experienced travelers, but some might be a bit bigger than you expect and a few might be stiff enough to allow you to get out on the slab before it fails.

  • Watch for and avoid stiffer drifted snow in steep lee terrain and in and around terrain features like gully walls, outcroppings, or under cliffs.
  • Avoid and stay out from under large and overhanging cornices along major ridge-lines, which are likely to break further back than you expect and could trigger avalanches on slopes below.
  • Even when the danger is mostly LOW we need asses the local danger on individual slopes and continue to use safe travel protocols.
Avalanche Problem 2
type aspect/elevation characteristics
LIKELIHOOD
LIKELY
UNLIKELY
SIZE
LARGE
SMALL
TREND
INCREASING DANGER
SAME
DECREASING DANGER
over the next 10 hours
description

Loose wet avalanches entraining the fresh snow will become possible in sunny terrain as the day warms up. Avoid and stay out from under steep slopes with saturated fresh surface snow, and pay close attention to trees and other terrain traps below you. Roller balls, pin-wheels, and sluffs indicate unstable wet surface snow, and entraining loose wet avalanches are likely in these conditions.

weather

Expect sunny conditions in the mountains, with moderate west-northwest winds, shifting around from the southwest this afternoon, and 8500' high temperatures around 34 degrees. It'll be party cloudy tonight, with temperatures around 19 degrees and moderate northwest. Looks like a very nice and sunny weekend, with mostly clear skies, breezy west winds and high temperatures hovering around freezing. The first part of next week will be mild and sunny, but a storm is expected to impact the region late Wednesday, with snow in the mountains lasting through Friday.

Check out our one-stop weather page........HERE
general announcements

Show Us You Know the Snow: US & Canadian avy groups have a challenge to sidecountry riders: Use your camera to tell a short video story about how your crew gets ready to safely ride beyond the resort boundary. Videos will be posted & promoted by GoPro & other partners. The contest will run till Mar 21. The winner will be determined by a combination of most views & an expert panel. Prizes include: 2 days at Monashee Powder Snowcats, 2 4-day Gold Passes to any US resort, a Backcountry Access Float 22 airbag, gear from Backcountry.com, editing help and support from Sherpas Cinema, & more. Winners will be announced in late March. . Details at knowthesnow.com     Please share this with your friends

Utah Avalanche Center mobile app - Get your advisory on your iPhone along with great navigation and rescue tools.

Remember your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting snow and avalanche conditions. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, email by clicking HERE, or include #utavy in your tweet or Instagram.

Follow us at UAClogan on Twitter 

I'll issue these advisories on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings through the month of March.

This advisory is produced by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. It describes only general avalanche conditions and local variations always exist.