Poor snowpack and heavy snowfall create dangerous avalanche conditions on Utah slopes

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Utah Avalanche Center issued an alert on Christmas Eve after a man was buried in Cache County before being rescued by his brother.

Officials said avalanche conditions were already bad and would get worse.

Authorities issued an avalanche alert but believe they will have to issue warnings later as snowfall increases.

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Officials at the center said four slides were observed on Christmas Day and five more were seen Tuesday, including one that briefly buried a man in Cache County.

When Utahns look at the hillsides, they might think there isn’t much snow in the mountains. Utah Avalanche Central Tipster Craig Gordon said that’s part of the problem.

“So the drought in December actually created a weak layer in our snowpack, and now we’re going to overload that with heavy, heavy snow,” Gordon said. It looks like an upside down cake. “Strong snow on weak snow, this is always a dangerous combination in our mountains.”

According to Gordon, the bottom layer of snow is so weak that someone skiing or snowmobiling at the bottom of a slope can easily trigger a slide, and they don’t even need to be nearby for it to happen; That’s why I tell people to stay away from areas with overhanging snow.

“We will be able to trigger an avalanche remotely. We won’t even have to be on the slope to get the legs out from under it. “We expect the avalanche danger to increase in the next few days,” he said.

To properly warn people about how bad conditions could get, Gordon said to stay away from steep slopes.

“Utah AVE advises people to stay away from steep wind-driven slopes. These go to slopes facing the northern half of the compass,” he said.

However, if you decide to head into the back country, Gordon said you should be prepared to help with your own rescue.

“This means wearing the avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe and knowing how to use them. But remember, any avalanche we trigger now will break deep, wide. It will uncover logs, dead piles and rocks,” Gordon said.

He added that conditions in the northern part of the state can be much worse than in the south, so he said everyone should check their local conditions before heading into the back country.

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