Forecast: Ogden Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Issued by Bo Torrey on
Sunday morning, February 15, 2026

A MODERATE avalanche danger exists on mid-elevation slopes facing NW-N-NE and on upper-elevation slopes NW-N-E. You can trigger a soft slab avalanche that breaks up to 18 inches deep and more than 100 feet wide. The most concerning slopes are where strong winds blowing from the south have drifted additional snow.

Be aware of potential wet-snow avalanches throughout the day, and avoid traveling on steep slopes where you find wet, heavy snow.

Northern portions of the Ogden zone that received higher snow and water totals may hold slightly thickerslabs, creating a greater danger than the surrounding terrain.

Low

Moderate

Considerable

High

Extreme

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Weather and Snow

Overnight, clouds moved in, temperatures warmed, and the wind blowing from the southwest increased.

This morning, skies are mostly cloudy, with air temperatures hovering around 32 °F at 8500 feet. Winds are blowing out of the southwest 20-30 mph with gusts reaching into the 50s mph along the Wasatch crest and 15-25 mph with gusts in the upper 30s mph near Powder Mountain.

Today, we’ll see mostly cloudy skies, daytime temperatures reaching the upper 30s or low 40s °F, and winds blowing from the southwest remain steady at 15-30 mph with gusts in the 40s mph.

Outlook: A significant winter storm arrives late Monday, bringing the first in a series of powerful systems. By Thursday, storm totals could reach 30+ inches of snow with 2.0-3.0” SWE. Expect very strong winds from the southwest. Heavy snowfall and strong winds, combined with a preexisting weak layer from the January dry spell, will create very dangerous backcountry avalanche conditions.

Recent Avalanches

Yesterday, Pro UAC observer, Derek DeBruin was out near Cutler Ridge and found 8 to 10 inches of recent storm snow above the layer of facets from the January dry spell. He noted half a dozen localized collapses and several small wet-loose avalanches. You view his entire observation HERE.

Pro observer, Michael Davis, was near Monte Cristo on Friday and found sensitive conditions with recent avalanches, cracking, collapsing, and unstable snowpack tests. You can view his observation HERE.

A small, 12 inche deep, soft slab avalanche that failed on weak faceted snow from the January dry spell.

You can view all recent observations here.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Recent storm snow buried a layer of weak facets from the January dry spell, creating a slab problem. The most concerning slopes face north and northeast, especially in areas of the Northern Wasatch that received higher water totals near Powder Mountain and Monte Cristo. Observations from the backcountry are limited, but ski area teams continue to trigger soft slabs that fail at the weak interface between the recent storm snow and old faceted snow surface.

Although yesterday's warm temperatures likely formed melt-freeze crusts on many slopes, strong winds can still scour and drift a surprising amount of snow. Be vigilant for signs of fresh wind loading and avoid slopes where recent wind-drifting has occurred.

The problem is most pronounced on northerly aspects, but the underlying weak structure is widespread and exists across the northern half of the compass, from West through East. On some slopes, existing crusts have helped to shoulder this initial load; however, with additional snowfall expected next week, the problem is likely to become more significant and widespread.

Very weak snow below recent storm snow found near Monte Cristo. Photo: Kaufmann View his observation HERE.

Additional Information

General Announcements

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

Backcountry Emergency Procedures