New winter storm to cause rising avalanche danger in backcountry

SALT LAKE CITY — Some much-needed snow is expected to make landfall on Utah this weekend, but with that comes an increased risk of avalanche danger in the backcountry, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.

“A series of weather systems will move through Utah this weekend through early next week, with significant mountain snowfall expected, as well as cooling temperatures and increasing winds,” read a UAC press release issued Friday.

Officials said forecasters often see powder days in March, but avalanche danger in the backcountry is typically low. This March, conditions are different.

“Utah Avalanche Center avalanche forecasters are finding widespread buried persistent weak layers consisting of sugary faceted snow across the mountains in Utah, making conditions tricky and more dangerous than they typically are this time of year,” stated the release.

The release went on to explain those conditions: 

• Accumulations of heavy new snow will overload slopes plagued by widespread layers of very weak faceted snow.
• After a couple months of mostly stable snow and low danger in Northern Utah, conditions are likely to change drastically, and become very real and dangerous.
• Avalanche danger is already elevated in Central and Southern Utah, and will only continue to increase with more snowfall and changing weather.
• Unseasonably warm temperatures have caused heightened wet avalanche conditions in the backcountry, this could be amplified if we get rain on snow.
• Dangerous avalanche conditions will develop on steep mountain slopes across Utah by Sunday Morning.
• Natural avalanches are quite possible and could occur without warning in steep terrain during the storm and threaten people below.
• It’s likely people will trigger dangerous slab avalanches if they venture into avalanche terrain (on or under backcountry slopes steeper than 30°).

UAC advised anyone heading into the backcountry to check the avalanche forecast on their website, as well as:

• Check that everyone in your group has operational avalanche rescue gear and knows how to use it.
• Cross steep slopes one person at a time.
• Pay attention to changing conditions.