Forecast: Salt Lake Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Issued by Nikki Champion on
Thursday morning, February 20, 2025

Avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE this morning and will rise to HIGH by this afternoon, especially on upper-elevation slopes that receive the most wind and snowfall. By then, natural avalanches will become likely, and human-triggered avalanches very likely.

Periods of heavy snowfall and strong winds will create dangerous avalanche conditions. Expect avalanches within the storm snow and wind-drifted snow, with any slide potentially stepping down to one of the buried weak layers, triggering a deeper avalanche several feet deep and hundreds of feet wide. Stay alert—avalanche danger will rise as the storm intensifies.

The travel advice remains unchanged—avoid avalanche terrain.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Weather and Snow

Heavy snowfall is blanketing the mountains this morning, with most areas reporting about 4 inches of snow and 0.20–0.30 inches of water as of 5 AM. Temperatures range from 20–30°F. Winds have been steady overnight from the west, with ridgetop gusts over 80 mph, but have since subsided to 10–15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph at mid-elevations and 30–40 mph, gusting to 50 mph, on the highest ridgelines.

The storm is arriving later than expected, with the heaviest snowfall between 7 AM and 2 PM, averaging 0.5 inches per hour and peaking at 2 inches per hour. Snow density will decrease as colder air moves in, with an additional 5–9 inches expected by 5 PM.

Temperatures will remain in the mid-20s°F, and winds will shift to the northwest, averaging 10–15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph at mid-elevations and 15–25 mph, gusting to 35 mph, on the highest ridgelines. Storm totals are now estimated to be between 9–16 inches of snow, with up to 1.35 inches of water by tomorrow.

Avalanches have occurred on nearly every aspect and elevation over the past week, and multiple weak layers make the snowpack unpredictable. We don’t recommend traveling in avalanche terrain right now, but there’s good powder on slopes under 30 degrees.

Recent Avalanches

The only avalanche report yesterday was a skier-triggered soft slab on a west-facing slope at 10,400' in the Hallway, running about 1,500' vertical with a 2' deep crown up high and a second ~4' deep crown lower on the apron, likely failing on one of the many persistent weak layers. Witnesses saw a powder cloud but weren’t sure if the skiers were aware or if the avalanche was remotely triggered.

Ski resorts also reported some stubborn storm and wind slabs with control work yesterday afternoon.

Read all observations HERE.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

This isn’t our typical February Wasatch setup. The snowpack holds four distinct weak layers, all of which continue to produce skier- and rider-triggered avalanches:

November/December facets near the ground, especially in rocky, shallow terrain.
Repeater slopes—areas that have previously avalanched.
Late January facets, found on many aspects.
Facet/crust combos on solar slopes, now extending into low- and mid-elevation SE-facing terrain.

This snowpack is anything but straightforward. Avalanches can fail on multiple weak layers, on nearly any aspect, and there’s no clear way to predict which one will go. Now is not the time to try and thread the needle, hoping to find the one steep slope that won’t slide—there’s just too much spatial variability.

Conditions can change drastically over short distances, and snow pits may not accurately reflect what’s happening nearby, even on similar aspects and elevations. Stability in one spot doesn’t guarantee the same conditions just a few hundred feet away.

Until this snowpack becomes more predictable, we strongly recommend staying out of avalanche terrain. Any avalanche in the new or wind-drifted snow has the potential to step down into one of the deeper persistent weak layers.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Today's issue is simple: as snowfall intensity increases, so does avalanche danger. The incoming front will bring periods of high snowfall rates and up to 16" of new, leading to shallow new snow avalanches, especially at upper elevations. Fast-running sluffs are likely.

The type of avalanche will depend on how quickly the new snow bonds versus how fast it’s falling. Watch for signs of instability like cracking and sluffing— even a small slide can be dangerous in steep terrain or near cliffs. Sensitivity is closely tied to snowfall rates, with anything over 2 inches per hour making avalanches easier to trigger.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Elevated winds continue to form sensitive wind drifts on all aspects at mid and upper elevations.

Watch for pillow-shaped deposits and avoid them. Signs of instability—shooting cracks, collapsing, and overhanging cornices—are clear indicators of wind-drifted snow and unstable terrain.

Additional Information

Four people have already lost their lives this season—a tragic reminder of how unforgiving this snowpack is. Don’t try to outsmart it. Keep it simple: avoid steep terrain and stick to safer, lower-angle slopes.

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

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