Forecast: Salt Lake Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Salt Lake Area Mountains

Issued by Dave Kelly on
Sunday morning, March 9, 2025

The avalanche danger is MODERATE on steep northwest-north-east facing mid and upper elevation slopes where it is possible that humans will trigger an avalanche failing on of two buried weak layers. These avalanches could be 1'-4' deep. These instabilities may not settle out as quickly as people push into steeper terrain. The avalanche danger for triggering an avalanche failing on one of these layers of buried facets falls into the MODERATE category, but the consequences are much higher.

The avalanche danger will rise to CONSIDERABLE on all other aspects where we will see wet snow avalanches with daytime warming. This wet snow problem is a matter of timing, with the danger of these avalanches rising throughout the day. Start early and get off of slopes in the sun as they start to heat up.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Special Announcements

We come to you with heavy hearts and great sadness this morning to confirm an avalanche accident on Friday, March 7th near Hoyt Peak, involving 51-year-old Micheal Janulaitis from Marion, Utah. Micheal was caught, carried, and killed in an avalanche while skiing a steep, northeast facing run in Hoyt Bowl. Huge thanks to the Department of Public Safety, Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Village Snow Safety and Ski Patrol teams, along with Wasatch Backcountry Rescue for the hard work recovering Micheal and returning him to his family. Micheal was a friend of Utah Avy and we feel privileged for the time we got to spend together. This is a tremendous loss for our backcountry family and we will miss him deeply. We are compiling accident details and a preliminary report can be found HERE.

March kicks off our Spring Campaign! If everyone in Utah’s backcountry community donates the cost of something they regularly enjoy on an adventure—like a dawn patrol burrito, a backpack snack, or post-ride trailhead drinks—we could fund not just one but two forecasters for the entire season! Donate here. Thank you!

Weather and Snow

Currently, under clear skies temperatures are slightly inverted and are in the low 20's °F at the highest peaks and in the mid teen's °F at the trailheads. Winds are blowing lightly at the lower elevations and from the west in the single digits gusting to the teens MPH at the highest ridgelines.

Today, look for clear skies and temperatures from 42-48 °F, which will be 10° warmer than yesterday. Winds will be light at the lower elevations and in the teens blowing from the west at the higher elevations.

Yesterday's warm temperatures cooked the snow on south-west facing aspects and expect to find a melt-freeze crust on the surface that will turn to mush very quickly with daytime heating. Lower angle north facing slopes above 9,000' are still holding soft snow.

Recent Avalanches

Yesterday, there were reports of natural and human-triggered wet loose avalanches on southerly and westerly facing terrain during the afternoon warmup, and of shallow wind-drifted snow avalanches near ridgelines. With warmer temperatures forecast for today expect wet avalanches to start earlier in the day.

Photo (CB) of a skier triggered avalanche failing on the dirt interface on East Facing Kessler that occurred on March 7 in steep terrain, where you would not want to get caught in avalanche.

Check out all avalanches and observations HERE.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

The start of last week's storm is marked by a layer of dirt that is harboring weak faceted snow. The other layer of concern is the same one that has been with us since the Holidays. This layer of sugary faceted snow formed near the ground and has been the culprit in a number of avalanche fatalities in Utah this season. This layer near the ground will now be 2'-4' deep and any avalanche failing here would be large enough to bury, injure, or kill a person. Slopes likely to be holding this layer are thinner, shallower, and have potentially already avalanched a couple of times this season (repeaters).

The best way to find out if either of these layers exist is to take your shovel and probe out and check the snowpack before committing to steep terrain.

Photo (Champion) showing the dirt layer now buried below the surface.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Today, expect to see wet snow avalanches. These will likely start early afternoon on steep southerly facing slopes at all elevations and westerly facing slopes later in the afternoon. You may also find wet avalanches in low elevation northerly facing terrain. These avalanches can be managed with timing. Get off of steep slopes in the sun as they begin to warm up where the danger will rise to CONSIDERABLE and natural wet avalanches will be possible.

Roof slides are possible this afternoon. Pay close attention to children playing or shovelers near roof lines as things heat up this afternoon and roofs start to shed their most recent storm snow.

Photo (M. Boman) of wet debris across the Mill B South Hiking trail.

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.

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