Forecast - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Issued by Drew Hardesty on
Wednesday morning, December 31, 2025

An overall LOW avalanche danger exists in the Ogden backcountry. The snow is mostly stable and triggering an avalanche is unlikely. Still, normal caution is advised for wet loose sluffs with daytime heating on steep solar aspects. Note that slide-for-life conditions exist on many steep slopes with the slick rain crust.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Weather and Snow

Skies are clear. Winds are light from the west and temps are in the mid to upper 30s.

For today, look for mostly sunny skies with increasing high clouds, light backing winds from the southwest and temps in the mid 40s.

All in all, riding conditions are decent in the cold post-Christmas storm snow and best on low angle slopes. Coverage, however, is still thin with just 12-24 inches of snow on the ground. Many low elevations and/or solar aspects are nearly bare.

A storm that's been spinning off the SoCal coast will impact Utah tonight through Friday. This storm will also be wet and warm, with a rain-snow line initially at 8000'. We may see 4-8"...perhaps a bit more.

Matt Barry braved the thin conditions to head up the Cutler Ridge on Monday and his excellent report can be found HERE.

Derek DeBruin submitted an excellent observation from western side Ben Lomond from this past Saturday.

Recent Avalanches

None.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

The snowpack structure is fairly complicated right now. A PWL (persistent weak layer) of faceted snow is buried 1-2' down. Below the post-Christmas storm lies a very slick and - in many areas - very thick Christmas Eve rain crust (CERC) essentially capping the poor structure below. The structure has shown its cards, but only in the upper Cottonwood Canyons near Alta and Snowbird..and only on Sunday. These were 2-3' deep on very steep north facing slopes above 10,000'.

We've heard of nothing since. Triggering a hard slab on this structure is unlikely, but not impossible. I'd still avoid steep, thin rocky terrain where the crust may be thinner.

General Announcements

This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

Observations and Avalanches

Backcountry Emergency Procedures