Officials Warn Of Avalanche Dangers As Weekend Storms Layer Snow In Mountains

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A new winter storm is adding another layer of snow to Utah’s mountains nearly a week after four people were killed in a backcountry avalanche.

Emergency management officials are warning of avalanche dangers in the backcountry – with the potential to trigger what they call “likely unsurvivable” avalanches over the weekend.

According to utahavalanchecenter.org, residents are urged to avoid travel in backcountry avalanche terrain.

“Heavy snow and drifting will overload buried persistent weak layers and create widespread areas of unstable snow,” according to the Utah Avalanche Center. “Both human and natural avalanches will become likely. Stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30 degrees.”

Rain showers will continue in valley areas through midday Friday, and mountain areas could get between 8 – 14 inches of snow from this storm, KSL meteorologist Kristen Van Dyke said. Another storm is moving in early Saturday that will produce even more snow in both the mountains and the valleys.