Forecast: Provo Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Special Announcements

The UAC is deeply saddened to report two avalanche fatalities. The first occurred on Wednesday, February 18th in the Big Flat area of Snake Creek near Midway. A snowmobiler was caught, carried, and buried in an avalanche, and unfortunately, recovery efforts were unsuccessful. The preliminary report can be found HERE.

The second fatality occurred on Thursday, February 19th, in the backcountry adjacent to Brighton Ski Resort. A young girl was caught, carried, and buried by an avalanche and did not survive. The preliminary report can be found HERE.

Our sincerest condolences are with all those impacted. The UAC is investigating both accidents in partnership with local law enforcement.

Weather and Snow

6 am: Skies are mostly clear and temperatures are 25-35 °F. Winds are blowing from the southwest and are light, with gusts in the teens mph.

Today: Temperatures will rise into the low 40's °F and winds will blow from the southwest and remain light, with gusts of 15-25 mph along exposed ridges and summits.

Tuesday/Wednesday: Winds will increase overnight and into tomorrow as a warm storm system enters the region Tuesday, with snowfall lasting through Wednesday. Rain/snow lines through Tuesday will be around 8,000 feet, lowering to 7,000 feet on Wednesday. Snowfall totals of 2-4 inches of dense snow containing over an inch of water are expected by late Wednesday.

Recent Avalanches

Where do we start? In the past week, nearly 60 avalanches have been reported to the UAC, with easily many more that haven't heard of. In addition to the two fatalities this past week, avalanche accidents on Saturday included a close call/near miss in the Ant Knolls where a snowmobiler was caught and carried, fortunately ending up on top of the debris. The avalanche was up to three feet deep and 500 feet wide, and is shown in the photo below.

Late Sunday, we received report of an avalanche in Caribou Basin in the Snake Creek Drainage involving a snowmachiner. Search and rescue teams and the UAC will be on the site early this morning and we will keep you informed as we learn more about this avalanche.

Photo of Saturday's avalanche in the Ant Knolls area [Photo: J Milligan]

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

On slopes facing west, north, through east, it is likely you can trigger an avalanche up to three feet deep and hundreds of feet wide, failing on a widespread persistent weak layer (PWL). In the video below, Trent describes the snowpack structure where this PWL exists. Nearly 60 avalanches failing on this PWL have been reported to the UAC, with two fatalities and other riders sustaining serious injuries, including someone in critical condition at the hospital. Many families and friends of these victims, including those performing search and rescue work, have been deeply affected by these tragedies.

The safest strategy to avoid being caught in one of these large avalanches is to avoid terrain 30° and steeper on slopes facing the north half of the compass. Avalanches can be triggered remotely (from a distance) on lower-angled terrain, including from below.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

Warm temperatures and sunshine will heat up the snow surface on sunny aspects today, and filtered sunshine may also create some greenhousing, especially at low and mid elevations. Watch for loose/wet rollerballs as an indication of the snow warming, and avoid terrain features such as steep gullies where even a small avalanche involving wet snow could create large debris piles.

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