Forecast: Salt Lake Area Mountains - Utah Avalanche Center

Special Avalanche Bulletin

What

The Utah Avalanche Center is issuing a Special Avalanche Advisory for all mountain regions across Utah through Sunday, March 22, as avalanche danger is expected to rise.

When

In effect from 6 AM MST Thursday to 6 AM MST Monday.

Where

The mountains of Utah and southeastern Idaho.

Impacts

Record-breaking warm temperatures will rapidly destabilize the snowpack across the state, increasing the likelihood of widespread, spontaneous, destructive wet avalanches. Wet avalanches could occur on all aspects and at all elevations, including places that typically stay colder this time of year. Avoid travel on and below steep slopes, including avalanche runout zones and terrain traps.

Special Announcements

After a difficult week in February that included four avalanche fatalities, UAC forecasters will host a community debrief to discuss the conditions surrounding these accidents. We will review the weather and snowpack patterns, share observations from the field, and discuss lessons learned. This event will not be live but will include time for questions and discussion, with the goal of learning together as a community. Please use the form below to submit questions for review. Submit your questions HERE.

A new version the UAC's mobile app has been released with many new features and performance improvements. Download our app today, available on iPhone and Android. Learn more HERE.

Join Caroline Miller, UAC Executive Director, in exploring a life-altering accident in the mountains. Broken Neck, Broken Systems is a deeper dive into decision-making in the mountains. Learn more HERE.

Weather and Snow

Overnight, southwest wind increased and is now blowing 10–20 mph, with gusts in the 20s and 30s along most upper-elevation ridgelines. At the highest elevations, winds are stronger, blowing 35–40 mph with gusts into the 50s at 11,000 feet. Mountain temperatures stayed above freezing all night and now range from 37 to 54 °F.

It’s going to feel more like the dog days of summer rather than March today, with mountain temperatures pushing into the mid and upper-60s °F. The southwest wind will stick around, and honestly, it’ll be a welcome relief if you’re out soaking up the sun.

Yesterday, during my travels, I found that the snow surface had a superficial refreeze due to longwave radiation escaping under clear skies overnight. The frozen surfaces lasted until about 10:00 AM on the sunny aspects and closer to noon on the shady aspects. By around 2 PM, things really started to fall apart, with all aspects becoming unsupportable.

The Week in Review from Friday, March 13 to Thursday, March 19, 2026, was just published and highlights the previous week's key avalanche and weather events contributing to conditions in the backcountry.

Recent Avalanches

No new backcountry observations or avalanches were reported yesterday. One ski area used explosives late in the day and triggered multiple wet slabs that were large enough to bury a person. You can find more observations from the Salt Lake mountains HERE.

Type

Location

Likelihood

Size

Description

It’s been roughly 96 hours since the snowpack last saw temperatures below freezing. We’re now in a classic spring pattern, where sustained warmth is driving multiple avalanche problems. As the snowpack heats up, free water begins moving through it, weakening bonds and increasing the likelihood of wet-snow avalanches.

The most widespread issue will be wet-loose avalanches. As the day warms, expect the snow surface to lose strength and become wet and unsupportable. Wet-loose avalanches will be the most common and are easy to trigger once the surface breaks down. These often start small but can quickly pick up snow, gouge deeper into the snowpack, and become dangerous—especially in steep terrain or above terrain traps.

There is also the potential for wet slabs. These are less common but much more destructive. As meltwater moves deeper into the snowpack, it can pool on buried crusts or weak layers, weakening the structure and allowing avalanches to break deeper and wider. These can occur with little warning and are difficult to manage. Today is not the day to be on or beneath large slopes, especially during the heat of the day.

Glide avalanches remain a concern in our classic terrain, such as Broads Fork and Stairs. These occur when the entire snowpack slowly slides on the ground, typically over smooth rock slabs or grassy slopes. They are nearly impossible to predict and are almost always natural. Large glide cracks are the main clue, but they don’t indicate when a slope will release. Avoid traveling on or beneath slopes with visible glide cracks or known glide activity.

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