Forecast: Salt Lake Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Issued by Nikki Champion on
Thursday morning, January 9, 2025

The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE at upper elevations and mid-elevation slopes facing west through north to east. Avalanches may be large and destructive, breaking on a buried persistent weak layer 2–4+ feet deep and potentially hundreds of feet wide. These avalanches can be triggered remotely or from below.

Watch for blowing and drifting snow today; avalanches triggered in wind-drifted snow could step down to deeper weak layers.

While this unstable combination has become more stubborn over the past few days, it remains highly dangerous and just as deadly. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully, make conservative decisions, and avoid slopes steeper than 30 degrees with poor snow structure. Lower-angled slopes offer safer options with good riding and travel conditions.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Please join Craig Gordon tonight, January 9th, from 6–8 PM at Mammut HQ for a state-of-the-snowpack. It's gonna be educational, it's bound to be informative... and sources on the street tell us it might even be entertaining! Get all the details HERE.

Weather and Snow

This Morning, skies are partly cloudy and there are even a few snowflakes falling in the upper Cottonwoods. Overnight, winds shifted from northwesterly to east-northeasterly, with gusts reaching up to 70 mph along the highest ridgelines. Winds have now eased to 15–20 mph at mid-elevations, with gusts up to 40 mph at the highest peaks.

Today, Low clouds may linger until mid-morning, but skies will clear, and the sun should be out by mid-afternoon. Temperatures will rise into the mid-20s°F. Northeasterly winds will stay moderate, averaging 15–25 mph at mid-elevations and 20–25 mph at upper elevations, with gusts up to 40 mph on the highest peaks.

Outlook: A storm is expected to arrive Friday evening and continue through the weekend. Although moisture is limited, cold air and northwest winds should create favorable snow conditions in the upper Cottonwoods. Snowfall totals are expected to range from average to higher-end amounts, with up to 18 inches of snow and nearly an inch of water content (SWE) possible in the heaviest scenarios.

Recent Avalanches

The backcountry remained relatively quiet overall, with no new avalanches reported. However, ski patrols triggered several large hard slabs with explosives, which failed on old faceted snow.

Be sure to check recent observations and avalanche reports to get a better understanding of current conditions across the range.

Observations and Avalanches

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

The primary concern remains triggering a large, unsurvivable hard slab avalanche on a persistent weak layer of faceted snow buried 2–5+ feet deep. This danger is most pronounced on mid- and upper-elevation slopes facing west through north to east.

Over the past few days, this unstable combination has become more stubborn but remains highly dangerous and just as deadly. Fewer obvious signs of instability are being observed during backcountry travel and in snowpits, suggesting the snowpack is gradually gaining strength. However, it’s important to remember we’re only a few days out from our last significant loading event. While the likelihood of triggering an avalanche on this layer is slowly decreasing, the consequences remain just as high.

Thinner snowpack areas may be especially suspect. Remember, avalanches can still be triggered remotely or from below. Stay safe and exercise caution out there.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Overnight, northwesterly winds ramped up to nearly 70 mph, and this morning, northeasterly winds have moved back into the range. Easterly winds in the Wasatch can be unpredictable and often lead to unusual avalanche conditions.

With elevated winds and soft snow available for transport, expect sensitive slabs of wind-drifted snow on upper-elevation slopes and mid-elevation terrain features where drifting snow accumulates.

Photo of the NE winds from Greg's day in Maybird Tuesday.

Additional Information

The accident reports for the Porter Fork and Davenport Hill Accident have been completed. You can read them HERE.

At the Utah Avalanche Center, we strive to learn from every avalanche incident and share insights to help others avoid similar accidents. We have all experienced close calls and understand how easily mistakes can happen. Our goal with these reports is to provide valuable learning opportunities.

General Announcements

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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