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LOGAN — U.S. Highway 89 through Logan Canyon was closed Wednesday due to an avalanche that has blocked the highway just west of the Beaver Mountain turn-off (SR-243).
The avalanche occurred between noon and 12:30 p.m. and avalanche experts are saying US-89 will remain closed indefinitely due to mountain snow instability, though the road is partially cleared and convoys are getting skiers out of the canyon, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.
US-89 is presently closed at approximately milepost 486. The highway was expected to remain closed until at least 6 p.m. Thursday and "possibly later so the road can be cleaned off," according to the Cache Valley Sheriff's Office.
US-89 through Logan Canyon will be closed until atleast 6 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday) possibly later so the road can be cleaned off. — CacheSheriff (@CacheSheriff) January 12, 2017
The nearby mountain snow was unstable and "could endanger those engaged in the cleanup effort," said UDOT Region 1 spokesman Vic Saunders in a statement.
Due to extreme avalanche danger, UDOT is closing the road until 9am tomorrow. Please stay tuned for more updates. https://t.co/tIb5QOMH4ypic.twitter.com/Q4lh2V6jU8 — Powder Mountain (@PowMow) January 11, 2017
Snow and removal efforts have been halted due to the snow instability and avalanche control teams have been dispatched to the area to bring down any other snow that may affect the road or the safety of motorists.
Skiers at Beaver Mountain are being sent back to Logan via alternative routes.
"Cache Valley-bound, and/or Bear Lake or Wyoming area residents may use SR-30 to SR-16 to Wyoming 89 to I-80 at Evanston, Wyoming, to travel to and from the area east of the avalanche," UDOT said.
"Another potential route is US-89 north to ID-36 at Ovid, Idaho, which will direct travelers back into the Cache Valley at Preston, Idaho."
Travis Seeholzer, Beaver Mountain's resort spokesperson, said avalanches that reach the road are fairly rare in Logan Canyon since it's not as steep as other canyons and the slide passes aren't right next to the road.
"It has been fairly calm for what we have had, but that’s bound to end," Seeholzer said. "We just want to continue to caution people with this amount of snowfall this quickly and the variable temps, it’s really a recipe for a big cycle to happen, it just hasn’t yet."
It was not immediately known what caused the avalanche or if anyone was injured.
Meanwhile, Powder Mountain Resort in Weber County announced at 2 p.m. that state Route 158, the road used to access the slopes there, will be closed until 9 a.m. Thursday "due to extreme avalanche danger."
Contributing: Mark Giauque, Ben Lockhart
Liesl is a web reporter at KSL.com, section editor of KSL's Tech and Science section and a student at Brigham Young University. You can email her at lnielsen@ksl.com.
