Overview: A significant storm system dropped nearly 3 feet of snow in the Cottonwoods from December 21 through December 31. From Tuesday January 1, through Friday January 4, cold clear weather prevailed, allowing the surface of the snowpack to weaken, producing a widepsread layer of near-surface facets. Southwest winds began to increase on Friday January 4, and into the day on Saturday January 5. These winds deposited fresh wind drifts onto these weak facets, conditions which allowed several human-triggered avalanches to occur during the day on Saturday January 5. Although several avalanches …

Our Week in Review highlights significant snowfall, weather, and avalanche events of the previous week. (Click here to review the archived forecasts for the Salt Lake mountains.) The danger roses for the Salt Lake mountains from Friday Jan 4 through Thursday Jan 10: Summary: Rising hazard, with dangerous avalanche conditions over the weekend and into the first part of the week, where the Utah Avalanche Center issues an Avalanche Warning for the Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake, Provo, and Uinta mountains. Increasing stability as the week progressed. Snow and water amounts …

For Winter 2018/2019, we are producing not just another season of conversations with avalanche professionals and those whose work has contributed to our profession, but what we are calling Blog-Casts. These are simply podcast shorts of essays and pieces that we hope will give the listener something to consider before or while they are in the backcountry. February 21, 2019: Blogcast 4: I AM Dangerous - Original Post here. February 5, 2019: Blogcast 3: The Wisdom of the Crowds - Original post here. January 8, 2019: Blogcast 1: Guilt - Original …

Our Week in Review highlights significant snowfall, weather, and avalanche events of the previous week. (Click here to review the archived forecasts for the Salt Lake mountains.) The danger roses for the Salt Lake mountains from Friday December 28 through Thursday Jan 3: Summary: A storm right before the New Years, sandwiched with two northeast/east wind events with several natural and skier-triggered wind slabs. Friday December 28 - Moderate to strong winds out of the east/northeast easily drift the low-density snow at the surface, creating wind drifts and wind-affected snow at …

Our Week in Review highlights significant snowfall, weather, and avalanche events of the previous week. (Click here to review the archived forecasts for the Salt Lake mountains.) The danger roses for the Salt Lake mountains from Friday December 21 through Thursday December 27: Summary: A series of weak, but regular, storms deliver regular snowfall to the mountains of Utah. Two avalanches break down into old, weak, faceted snow down near the ground, and a close call with a partial burial in White Pine Canyon. Since last Friday, the upper Cottonwoods have received nearly 2' of …

Our Week in Review highlights significant snowfall, weather, and avalanche events of the previous week. (Click here to review the archived forecasts for the Salt Lake mountains.) The danger roses from Friday December 14 through Thursday December 20: Summary: The week was characterized by several wind events, warm temperatures, and alternating periods of sunshine and clouds. A very small storm mid-week delivered a few inches of dense graupel. Overall increasing stability and the layer of October facets down near the ground on mid and upper elevation northerly aspects becomes …

Our Week in Review highlights significant snowfall, weather, and avalanche events of the previous week. (Click here to review the archived forecasts for the Salt Lake mountains.) Summary: Warm, dry weather early in the week, with a windy storm midweek. The danger roses from Friday December 7 through Thursday December 13: Friday December 7 - Quiet weather and no reports of avalanches. Saturday December 8 - A skier-triggered avalanche in the Ice Box, a steep northwest-facing slope in Porter Fork in Millcreek Canyon. This slide failed on October facets down near the ground, …