January 7, 2017

Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center Issues Avalanche Warning for Northern and Central Utah, Warns of Roof-Avalanches and Low Elevation Avalanche Danger.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH –

Expected heavy snow and strong winds will create dangerous avalanche conditions over the next several days. Natural and human triggered slides will be certain on many steep slopes where the danger is expected to reach HIGH or EXTREME. Those without expert level avalanche skills should avoid being on or underneath steep slopes…or avoid the backcountry altogether. It should be noted that those accessing out of bounds terrain from the ski resorts account for one in five avalanche deaths in Utah.

Warmer weather and rain-on-snow at low elevations will create hazardous conditions in the valleys and in urban areas along the Wasatch Front over the coming days. Heavy snow build-up on many buildings and roofs are expected to shed their load Sunday into Monday with the changing weather. Roof avalanches have accounted for at least one fatality in Utah with many more around the West. Anyone, especially children playing below or near the runout of steeps roofs, may be prone to avalanches cascading from above.

The FS Utah Avalanche Center has created an informational video on YouTube and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT52CBmsXZo

These weather conditions will also produce wet avalanches that may affect user groups such as ice climbers, nordic skiers, snowshoers, dog walkers, river fishermen, or others recreating in or beneath steep terrain. The cover of the Utah Avalanche Center’s 2016/2107 Annual Report - https://utahavalanchecenter.org/sites/default/files/archive/annual-reports/uac/AnnualReport2015-16.pdf - has a photo of a wet avalanche that nearly engulfed people in the Strawberry hot springs in Spanish Fork canyon.