Considerable avalanche danger through much of Utah’s backcountry after storm
Mar 6, 2022, 6:29 PM | Updated: Jun 19, 2022, 9:41 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Snow storms across Utah mean new risk for avalanches, with most areas at a moderate level Sunday.
The Utah Avalanche Center sent out a warning for those exploring Utah’s backcountry.
For the first time in months, parts of the state are seeing heightened avalanche danger. This is a risk not typically seen in March because there is usually a stable snowpack, but due to the lack of snow this season, conditions are different.
“What’s problematic is we all know it didn’t snow that much in January and February, and it created very weak snow at the snow surface. All the incoming snow is adding to that,” said Drew Hardesty, an avalanche forecaster with the Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center. “It’s going to be easy to trigger avalanches one to two feet deep, probably 100-200 feet wide.”
There have not been any deaths caused by avalanches in Utah this season, and the Utah Avalanche Center wants to keep it that way.
The UAC is reminding anyone venturing out to check conditions before you go and to be prepared.
You can find the latest conditions here.