25 avalanches since Friday, ‘Special avalanche bulletin’ issued

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Avalanche Center was so concerned about conditions and more than two dozen avalances in the central and northern Utah mountains that it issued a special warning Sunday morning. 

“We are very worried that a serious avalanche accident could occur this weekend. A considerable avalanche danger exists across northern and central Utah –This is when we see the most accidents and fatalities,” the bulletin said. 

A combination of dangerous avalanche conditions and great powder along with “beautiful weather” forced the center to issue the special bulletin. 

“There have been many close calls this week, but luck eventually runs out. We commonly see a string of close calls leading up to serious accidents,” the Avalanche Center said in a statement. 

SPECIAL AVALANCHE BULLETIN issued for Saturday, March 12. We are very worried that a serious avalanche accident could occur this weekend. pic.twitter.com/pD4cOCr4Fx

— UtahAvalancheCenter (@UACwasatch) March 12, 2022

Drew Hardesty with the avalanche center said there have been 25 avalanches since Friday, March 11.

The dangers proved to be all too real for a skier who was buried in six feet of snow Saturday afternoon. 

The 55-year-old man was in critical but stable condition after the incident up Big Cottonwood Canyon. 

Also, a young snowmobiler was buried by snow in the Humpy Cutes area of the Uintas. Hardesty said he was rescued after people found him with his helmet and backpack sticking out of the snow.

The avalanche said skiers should make sure they have an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe. 

Also, it warned skiers to avoid all steep slopes and avalanche terrain. The center said slopes with less than a 30-degree slope offer “great riding and powder.”

🚨 #RoadWeatherAlert 🚨
The #TractionLaw is in effect for both Big & Little Cottonwood Canyons. #SR190 #SR210 @UDOTTRAFFIC @UDOTRegionTwo @AltaCentral @AltaSkiArea @SnowbirdAlerts @SolitudeMTN @BrightonResort @UPDSL @BrightonUT @alta_of pic.twitter.com/hTjFXMmZTf

— UDOT Cottonwood Canyons (@UDOTcottonwoods) March 13, 2022

Also on Sunday, the Department of Transportation said conditions in Big and Lower Cottonwood Canyons were severe enough to require all vehicles to use approved traction devices.