Sunny slopes will be crusty until softened by warmth today, while shaded and northerly aspects still hold dry settled powder. Yesterday, we found nice conditions at upper elevations, with sparkling surface hoar and "loud powder" (re-crystalized surface snow) on the snow surface. The snow appears to be mostly stable across the zone currently, with minimal recent activity and no reported or observed avalanches failing on a sugary persistent weak layer near the ground since December. All the rain and warmth leading up to Christmas saturated the weak faceted snow from November, and recent colder temperatures have now solidly refrozen the base of the snowpack. Snowpit tests continue to show improving stability, but poor snowpack structure still likely exists in isolated, steep, rocky terrain with a shallow snowpack. In these areas, a wind slab or wet avalanche might step down into older weak snow, resulting in a much larger and more dangerous slide. Our concerns on slopes steeper than 30 degrees today include avalanches of wind-drifted snow in exposed terrain and increasing potential for wet avalanches on sunny slopes as daytime temperatures rise. Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully, travel through potential avalanche paths one person at a time, and make sure everyone in your group has a beacon, shovel, and probe—and knows how to use them.
The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400 feet reports 37°F and 61 inches of total snow, containing 116% of average SWE for the date. At the UAC Card Canyon weather station at 8700 feet, it's 28°F, and there is 46 inches of total snow. Currently at 9700 feet on Logan Peak, the wind is blowing 25 to 30 mph with gusts of 40 mph from the northwest. It's 29°F on Paris Peak, and the wind sensor, freed of rime yesterday morning, reports wind from the west-northwest 25 to 33 mph. Today will be another nice day in the mountains with a 8500' high of 37°F, sunny skies, and light winds in the afternoon, blowing from the west-northwest. Expect a strengthening inversion with mild mountain temperatures and valley haze to persist through the week and beyond, as a strong ridge of high pressure continues to dominate the weather pattern over the west.
On Saturday, in the Ogden Zone, a snowmobiler triggered a wind slab avalanche on Whiskey Hill in the Monte Cristo area. Luckily, the rider was able to ride off to the side.
Over the weekend, a large natural hard slab avalanche failed 5 feet deep on sugary faceted snow or depth hoar near the ground in Stairs Gulch in the Wasatch Range east of Salt Lake City.
For all observations and avalanche activity in the Logan Zone, go HERE.
