SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A skier buried in a backcountry avalanche this week is lucky to be alive after fellow skiers worked very quickly to pull him to safety.

The avalanche happened Wednesday in the area of Little Cottonwood Canyon and American Fork.

Forecasters with the Utah Avalanche Center said all the snow that’s fallen within the last few days is very light and powdery. That can create drifts that are sensitive to wind, and that’s how the skier got caught in the slide.

Most of the area is still at a “moderate” avalanche danger rating.

You can get the avalanche forecasts at utahavalanchcenter.org.