Forecast for the Provo Area Mountains

Nikki Champion
Issued by Nikki Champion on
Thursday morning, November 5, 2026

The Utah Avalanche Center is back in full swing, and our staff is ready for another season in the mountains.

Early-season avalanches can have serious consequences, even when they’re small. Getting caught and carried through rocks, stumps, and downed trees can turn a short ride into a dangerous one.

If you’re heading into the backcountry, carry a beacon, shovel, and probe, know how to use them, and choose your terrain carefully.

Early season is the perfect time to refresh your avalanche knowledge, and there’s no shortage of resources to help. A quick review now can go a long way once the snow starts stacking up. Check out the classes and events.

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Learn how to read the forecast here
Weather and Snow

This morning, mountain temperatures are in the low to mid-30s °F with light easterly winds.

The weak system that moved through left the Provo-area mountains high and dry, with only a trace of new precipitation at most. Sundance Mid-Mountain, Aspen Grove and Bunnells Ridge are reporting no to very little new snow or precipitation.

High pressure is settling in behind the last storm, keeping temperatures 5–10°F cooler than normal for now. A strong ridge takes over next, bringing a steady warm-up through the weekend, with temperatures reaching up to 5°F above normal by Sunday. Mild, dry weather will likely continue into next week, though a few models show the ridge breaking down midweek and opening the door to more storms, so the longer-range forecast remains uncertain.

Roughly 1.5–2" of water fell in the Provo mountains since Halloween. The storm started warm and wet, then colder air Monday into Tuesday dropped the snowline to about 8,500'. The dense snow has started an early-season base, but it’s still shallow, with rocks and obstacles just below the surface. Don’t let the fresh white coat fool you.

Recent Avalanches

We’ve had very few observations from the Provo area mountains, but Uintas forecaster Ben VandenBos grabbed some great photos of wet loose avalanches just south of North Peak on Timpanogos. (See photos below). These likely ran during the rain-on-snow event.

If you’re getting out, keep submitting and checking observations.

Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
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If there’s snow in the mountains, we need to think about avalanches.

Provo observations are scarce, but the upper elevations likely mirror the upper Cottonwoods. Dave Kelly found 18–24" of snow near 10,000' on a north-facing slope in Upper Little Cottonwood, with small, decomposing crystals on a melt-freeze crust about 8" above the ground. His stability tests failed on this layer, matching Trent’s findings earlier in the week.

The main concern is northwest- through northeast-facing slopes above 9,500', where new snow sits on this weak layer, which will keep weakening under cold nights and low November sun. Slopes without old October snow have likely stabilized. Dig down in a safe spot before committing to avalanche terrain.

The bottom line: It’s early season, so there’s no reason to push it. Remember that even a small avalanche can be serious in a shallow snowpack. There’s a long winter ahead!

Additional Information

SAVE THE DATES!

It's never too early to start thinking about avalanches. Here are a few things to consider doing:

  • Learn online. We have over 5 hours of free online learning at the Know Before You Go website
  • Check out the upcoming in-person Know Before You Go events HERE
  • Sign up for an on-snow class
  • Check out the UAC's education progression HERE
  • Get your avalanche rescue gear ready for winter. Put fresh batteries in your transceiver and update the firmware. Inspect your shovel and probe. Get your airbag backpack ready by possibly doing a test deployment and updating the firmware if it is an electric version or getting your canister refilled if it's not electronic.
General Announcements

Each resort in Utah has their own policies regarding uphill travel. Check out the summary of each resort's policy before traveling uphill. For further questions contact the resort directly.