There is very little snow left below about 7000 feet, but in higher elevations, avalanche conditions are complex and dangerous, especially on slopes facing northwest through southeast. People are likely to trigger shallow wind slab avalanches today on drifted upper elevation slopes steeper than 30 degrees, and there's still a possibility on many slopes of dangerous hard slab avalanches that can propagate widely on a widespread, persistent weak layer buried two to three feet deep.
Colder temperatures with today's storm will produce lighter powder and improve riding conditions, but increasing, gusty winds from the west will rapidly build shallow, sensitive wind slabs, and continue to build a slab layer overloading slopes plagued by fragile, buried persistent weak layers. Our conservative plan for today includes riding in low-angle terrain and in the meadows, off and well out from under steep hills.
The UAC Card Canyon weather station at 8700 feet reports 17°F, with 3 inches of new snow and 64 inches of total snow. The Tony Grove Snotel, located at 8400 feet, reports 4 inches of light new snow, containing 0.2 inches of SWE (snow water equivalent). It's 21°F, and there's 76 inches of total snow. At 9700 feet on Logan Peak, winds are blowing from the west at 20 to 30 mph, with gusts close to 40 mph. It's 14°F on Paris Peak at 9500 feet, and the wind, from the west-southwest, is blowing 10 to 20 mph.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Bear River Mountains through tomorrow. This morning's radar shows precipitation moving across Idaho and filling in from the northwest. Snowfall could be heavy at times today, with 5 to 9 inches of accumulation possible in upper-elevation terrain in the Northern Bear River Range and 3 to 7 expected south of the state line. High temperatures at 8500 feet will be near 27°F, and winds will blow from the west around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Tapering snowfall is expected tonight, with a few more inches of accumulation possible, and the wind will come around from the north and increase a bit. Tomorrow, we expect snow showers and clouds to gradually clear, and partly sunny conditions to develop, with relentless winds continuing to blow from the northwest. Fair weather is expected in the mountains this weekend.
In the Wasatch Mountains, avalanches have killed four people recently in separate accidents. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the affected family, friends, rescuers, and community members. Thank you to everyone involved for sharing information.
In the Logan Zone; there were numerous natural wet and small wind slab avalanches during and after Monday's warm and wet storm.
Over the weekend, riders triggered large, dangerous hard slab avalanches. An observer's crew came across and searched a freshly triggered avalanche on Friday, February 27, near the Naomi Trail on an east-facing slope around 8900'. On Sunday, March 1, a rider was caught and carried, and their sled rolled by a 3-foot deep and 50-foot wide hard slab avalanche under a cliff band on a north-facing slope at around 8700 feet in elevation. The video below, submitted by local riders, includes actual images from both avalanches:
Huge thanks to the riders that shared information, photos, and videos. This information may well save lives.... For all observations and avalanche activity in the Logan Zone, go HERE.
