Thirteen avalanches reported in Utah’s backcountry this weekend

SALT LAKE CITY — It was an active weekend for backcountry avalanches across Utah. And the Utah Avalanche Center reported that 13 of those slides were human-caused.

(4/23/2023) 13 human triggered avalanches with 8 people caught and carried in wind slabs yesterday. Today we will continue with a MODERATE danger for both wind drifted snow and wet snow. Get the full forecast at https://t.co/zLAG65mQIR

— UtahAvalancheCenter (@UACwasatch) April 23, 2023

 

In its tweet, the Center referred to people being caught and carried in wind slabs, which is snow that was blown around by wind as it was falling. A wind slab can also be formed when the wind blows snow that has already fallen.

The Utah Avalanche Center said the weekend avalanches were not fatal. But the conditions are ripe for avalanches because there’s plenty of heavy, wet, and wind-drifted snow that could easily break loose. 

You can stay up to date on daily avalanche conditions at the Utah Avalanche Center’s website.

Related reading:

• Little Cottonwood Canyon is one of most avalanche-prone canyons in the world, U of U professor says
• Nobody injured after avalanche on Mt. Superior stretched into Snowbird
• No one injured after two skiers triggered avalanche near Donut Falls