Skiers entering the backcountry beware: the risk of triggering an avalanche is expected to be high until Wednesday, with uncertain levels of danger throughout the rest of the week.
The Utah Avalanche Center on Tuesday issued a warning that avalanche danger will be high from 6 a.m. on Tuesday until at least the same time the following morning. This week’s winter storm carried heavy precipitation across the Wasatch Range with wind-drifted snow causing instability.
“Long running natural and human triggered avalanches are likely,” the Utah Avalanche Center warning said. “People should avoid being in backcountry avalanche terrain, (off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30 degrees), and stay clear of avalanche runouts.”
Forecaster Drew Hardesty expected slides to run fast and far on Tuesday. The Park City Ridgeline received between 6 and 12 inches of snow overnight, in addition to windy conditions, while storm totals were between 16 and 24 inches with an inch of snow water equivalent added to the snowpack, according to the report. Up to a foot of snow was expected throughout Tuesday with more on the way in the morning.
Several avalanches were reported early in the week, with more likely to occur, because of the new snow.
“The great uncertainty lies in whether some of these avalanches will step down into older storm snow from the past week or two. Regardless, the travel advice is the same – avoid being on or beneath steep terrain,” Hardesty said.
The wind-drifted snow has also posed a problem with the potential to build wind slabs, which occur when a strong layer of snow sits on top of a weak layer. The Utah Avalanche Center reported that cornices have “grown unruly and may calve off naturally,” which could trigger large slides on the slopes below.
Avalanches do not occur randomly. Slides are triggered naturally, or by people skiing, snowboarding or riding snowmobiles. They only occur on slopes steeper than 30 degrees and require a weak or buried base layer to be topped by a slab.
Hardesty expected conditions to dry out later this week with temperatures forecasted to rise over the weekend. People planning to go into the backcountry should check the Utah Avalanche Center before heading out.
They should be equipped with the necessary avalanche rescue gear, such as a transceiver, probe and shovel. Backcountry users are encouraged to evaluate the terrain carefully and make conservative decisions.
The Utah Avalanche Center recommended crossing steep slopes one person at a time while the rest of the group watches from a safe location because slides can be triggered from a distance or a nearby slope.
“Staying out of backcountry avalanche terrain is the safest option [when danger is high],” the Utah Avalanche Center said in a statement.
There have been two avalanche fatalities reported this winter. There were zero during the 2021-2022 season.
A California man on a tour guided by Park City Powder Cats was killed in a Weber Canyon backcountry avalanche on March 9. Another man was also caught, carried and buried in the slide. He was transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition. The Utah Avalanche Center has not yet released a full accident report.
Park City Powder Cats said in a statement the incident was the first death they’ve experienced in 29 years of operation, and offered condolences to the family.
“We consider every one of our guests to be family and will continue to put our primary focus on the safety and well-being of our guests and staff,” the statement said.
The second fatality was reported in the Oquirrh Mountains on March 27. A snowmobiler became deeply buried in a large avalanche while riding with a partner. The man was equipped with a transceiver and probe, the report said, but it took a long time to dig him out. He had deployed an avalanche airbag, which was deflated by the time he was uncovered.
The daily avalanche forecast and additional information can be found on the Utah Avalanche Center website, utahavalanchecenter.org.