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Forecast for the Logan Area Mountains

Toby Weed
Issued by Toby Weed on
Thursday morning, December 5, 2024
The avalanche danger is LOW. With very shallow, loose, and sugary snow conditions even at upper elevations in the backcountry, our primary concern is the potential for people to hit rocks, stumps, or down trees.
Use normal caution and keep your speed down.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
AVALANCHE AWARENESS WEEK!
  • Join USU OP and the Utah Avalanche Center for a FREE beacon clinic on Saturday, December 7th, from 10 am to noon on the USU campus. This event is open to anyone wanting to learn how to use an avalanche transceiver or brush up on their transceiver skills.
  • Saturday, December 7 - 17th Annual Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop (USAW) - Information and tickets are available here.
  • Tuesday night's 21st Annual Pray for Snow Fundraiser/Party was a big success! It was great to see you there. THANK YOU!
Weather and Snow
With generally safe avalanche conditions in the Logan Zone, the greatest hazard is hitting rocks. The snow is still quite shallow, even at the highest elevations, with many obstacles visible above the snow surface and others that are only shallowly buried by loose snow. Given the fair weather, it's a good time to get out in the mountains, and backcountry skiers and snowboard riders can find decent "loud powder" conditions, especially on lower-angle, shaded, and sheltered slopes. Some folks on sleds are braving the shallow conditions, and local parts and repair shops are pretty busy fixing the collateral damage these days.
-The 8500' Tony Grove Snotel reports 35°F and 18 inches of total snow on the ground. It's 34°F at the 8800' UAC Card Canyon weather station, with just under 21 inches of total snow.
-Currently at 9700' at the CSI Logan Peak weather station, it's 32°F and the wind is blowing from the northwest at 16 mph. At 9500' on UAC Paris Peak it's 34°F, and winds are from the north, blowing 10 mph.
  • Expect clear, sunny skies today, a high of 43°F at 8500', and light winds blowing from the west-northwest. The forecast is essentially the same for tomorrow and the next day.
  • We can expect stable atmospheric conditions with fair weather in the mountains and haze in the valleys for the remainder of the work week, with an improving chance for a little snow at upper elevations this weekend, mainly on Sunday. The forecast's 1 to 2 inches of accumulation is certainly welcome, but it won't change conditions much. Check out the NWS in SLC's Area Forecast Discussion.
For more information, visit the UAC weather page here: Weather - Utah Avalanche Center
For Logan-specific weather go here: Logan Mountain Weather - Utah Avalanche Center
Mt Magog and environs as seen from the south on 12-3-2024. Some coverage exists, but the upper elevation snow is quite thin and loose, only 1.5 to 2.5 feet (40 to 80 cm) deep.
Recent Avalanches
No significant avalanches have been reported recently.
You can read all observations here.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Risk is inherent in mountain travel, and widespread shallow snow conditions probably pose a greater hazard than avalanches. However, LOW avalanche danger does not mean NO avalanche danger, and taking a ride in even a small avalanche could be quite dangerous and consequential.
  • In some exposed terrain up high, stiff wind slabs formed on slopes plagued by weak and loose faceted snow. People should avoid stiff drifts, most likely found in upper elevation easterly terrain and in and around terrain features.
  • Small loose avalanches of wet snow are possible in sunny terrain in the midday heat.
Additional Information
In this archived video, Trent explains the problem of weak, faceted snow development that occurs during high-pressure systems when shallow snow is subjected to cold temperatures this time of year. This is exactly the situation we find ourselves in the Logan Zone today. We'll have to monitor and map the widespread weak snow when storms inevitably start to roll in.
Feathers of surface hoar or frost crystals on the snow surface are widespread in sheltered terrain in the Logan Zone... These are beautiful two-dimensional crystals that can become a future weak layer if they are buried intact. In this case, they are likely to be destroyed by wind, sun, and warm temperatures before that happens....
General Announcements
-National Forest Winter Recreation Travel Maps show where it's open to ride: UWCNF Logan, Ogden LRD Tony Grove, Franklin Basin CTNF Montpelier
-Sign up for forecast region-specific text message alerts. You will receive messages about changing avalanche conditions, watches, and warnings...HERE.
-For all questions on forecasts, education, Know Before You Go, events, online purchases, or fundraising, call 801-365-5522.
-To report an avalanche or submit an observation from the backcountry, go HERE.
-Remember that the Tony Grove Road is not maintained for winter driving. Treacherous snow-covered and icy conditions will be encountered.
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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