WEATHER

Forecasters remind backcountry visitors to be cautious

Dec 26, 2019, 8:33 AM | Updated: 11:59 am
Utah Mountain Adventures Guide Joseph Hobby, left, talks to clients during a level 1 avalanche course in the Grizzly Gulch area of Little Cottonwood Canyon, near Alta, on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, KSL)
(Photo: Spenser Heaps, KSL)

PARK CITY, Utah — The Utah Avalanche Center is reminding skiers and snowboarders to be cautious if they’re visiting the backcountry.

This warning comes after a video was captured of a snowboarder outrunning a small slide in the same area near Park City where a man was killed earlier in December.

Drew Hardesty, with the Utah Avalanche Center, says the snowboarder triggered an avalanche about 1 foot deep and 150 feet wide.

“You could just see that he’s turning back and forth oblivious to the avalanche coming down,” says Hardesty.


Craig Gordon, an avalanche forecaster with the center, says that though the danger is moderate, those enjoying the outdoors should still be cautious with all the new snow that has fallen in the mountains.

“Right now, avalanche conditions aren’t particularly dangerous, but we’ve got a couple of issues with the snowpack,” he tells KSLTV. “First, new snow avalanches – they’re particularly sensitive, they’re easy to initiate on steep slopes and then secondly, we still have weak snow near the ground. So, what could be a problem is you start a new snow avalanche that then breaks a little bit deeper and wider than you expect and that is going to be an instant season-ending situation.”

The Center says that Utah averages 2 and 1/2 avalanche fatalities each winter.

Gordon says that the recent storms have given a lot of good snow to get out and enjoy. He recommends that those backcountry visitors remove earbuds and check the avalanche forecast for the areas they’re visiting.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

Weather

Crash totals...
Mark Jones

UHP: Three people dead in two-vehicle crash in Kane County

Three people are dead Tuesday night following a two-vehicle crash in Kane County, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
1 day ago
a skier is pictured at brighton...
Adam Small

Brighton hits a milestone with 700 inches of snow

Brighton Ski Resort's snow milestone is impressive, but it'll get even more snow after a Tuesday night storm.
1 day ago
Utah Flooding...
Ben McGonnell

Utah Flooding: How to prevent and mitigate the risk

With snow continuing to pile up across the state, flooding is becoming a major concern for Utah residents this year.
1 day ago
The Cache County Sheriff's Office responded to two snow-related roof collapses on Thursday, Photo c...
Hugo Rikard-Bell

Snow causing roofs to collapse across the state, expert offers helpful tips

Many Utahns are seeing sections of their roofs collapse as a result of snow accumilation. Josh Carrion, owner of Liberty Roofing, offers tips.
1 day ago
Spring gets off to a rocky start. This week shows wet weather and colder than usual temps. (KSL.com...
Adam Small

More winter weather for the first day, week of spring

Spring may be officially here but wet weather and colder than normal temperatures are expected for this week.
2 days ago
filling sandbags...
Hugo Rikard-Bell

Salt Lake County fills sandbags in preparation for potential flooding

Volunteers were hard at work Friday morning at the Flood Control Sandbag Shed in Midvale filling sandbags to help people gear up for potential flooding.
5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...
BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.
Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....
Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a new winter activity? Try skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.
Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...
Intermountain Health

Five common causes of Cervical Cancer – and what you can do to lower your risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.
Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...
Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.
happy friends with sparklers at christmas dinner...
Macey's

15 easy Christmas dinner ideas

We’ve scoured the web for you and narrowed down a few of our favorite Christmas dinner ideas to make your planning easy.
Spicy Homemade Loaded Taters Tots...
Macey's

5 Game Day Snacks for the Whole Family (with recipes!)

Try these game day snacks to make watching football at home with your family feel like a special occasion. 
Forecasters remind backcountry visitors to be cautious