Our Week in Review highlights significant snowfall, weather, and avalanche events of the previous week. (Click here to review the archived forecasts for the Salt Lake mountains.) 

The danger roses for the Salt Lake mountains from Friday March 15 through Thursday March 21:

Summary: A period of warming temperatures and clear skies leads to usual wet activity early in the week. South/southeast winds increase mid week ahead of a storm system that begins to move into the region.

Friday March 15 - The strong sun warms up all solar aspects, and wet loose activity begins in earnest. The largest reported slides are in Little Cottonwood, including skier-triggered slides on south-facing Superior, as well as the large avalanche paths above the Little Cottonwood highway.

Saturday March 16 - Only minor wet loose activity reported in the Cottonwoods, but large natural wet avalanches are reported in the Provo mountains on Cascade Ridge (observation)

Sunday March 17 - Very little wet loose activity in the Salt Lake mountains, but more wet slides in the Provo mountains, including the photo below of  Squaw Peak road under  15' of wet debris (observation).

Monday March 18 - Only small loose wet and dry sluffs are reported.

Tuesday March 19 - A large glide avalanche is reported from Broads Fork, likely occurring overnight or during the early morning hours. Glide avalanches are impossible to predict when they may occur, but it is definitely glide season in the usual places such as Broads Fork, Mill B south, and Stairs Gulch. With a deep snowpack this season, glide avalanches will be quite large, and running well down into flat terrain in the valley bottoms. Excellent observation from Wasatch veteran Peter Donner on Broads Fork glide activity.

Wednesday March 20 - After several days of very light winds, southeast winds begin to blow, drifting small pockets of fresh wind drifts at the upper elevations. The only reported avalanche activity in the Salt Lake mountains is a skier-triggered soft slab in Stairs Gulch. This was a relatively small slide, but it did involve being caught and carried in the avalanche, with minor injuries (observation). 

In the Ogden mountains, a skier-triggered soft slab avalanche in Taylor Canyon involving another catch-and-carry, including an airbag deployment (observation)

Thursday March 21 - Southeast winds continue to gust in the 20's mph along with 3-5" new storm snow. Minor, soft slabs and fresh wind drifts are reported.