Utah considering using drones for avalanche control
Mar 25, 2026, 2:42 PM
The slide path of an avalanche triggered during mitigation work in Milly Bowl is seen at Brighton Ski Resort in Brighton on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News)
(Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Technology that’s already used to start and manage controlled burns here in Utah could soon be used to mitigate avalanche danger as well.
When UDOT goes into canyons today to set off avalanches, they do it by dropping explosives from a helicopter, setting off a charge with a tower or by firing a World War II-era howitzer cannon, depending on the area.
But now, the department is talking with companies like Drone Amplified about potentially bringing explosive-dropping drones to Utah.
A drone flies aboveOgden March 20, 2026. (Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
“It’s actually quite safe,” said Carrick Detweiler the CEO of Drone Amplified. “There’s no way to set it off unless we send a bunch of very specific commands to it and only when it’s in a certain location.”
Detweiler told KSL transportation officials in Alaska are already using their technology to set off controlled avalanches. He said it’s much safer than sending someone up in a helicopter to drop an explosive because the operator is on the ground at a safe distance.
Detweiler also said the U.S. Forest Service already uses their drones to start prescribed fires in states like Utah, and they have been for a number of years.
When asked if he thought Utah will eventually use drones for avalanche control Detweiler said, “I’m sure of it … this is the way the future is going.”
When asked the same question, UDOT spokesperson John Gleason said, “It is absolutely conceivable that we will have that type of avalanche mitigation technology here in the next few years.”
Gleason said they’ve met with Drone Amplified before to talk and learn about their technology. Though Gleason said there are still some things to figure out before Utah starts using drones for avalanche control.
For one, Alaska is much more remote than Utah, officials will need to be sure it’s safe to drop explosives with drones in a more densely populated area.
Gleason also said they need to make sure local laws will allow drones to operate like this within state lines.
Though he also said, “if there’s a way that we can do avalanche mitigation safer and … (minimize) any risk, that’s something that we’re always going to be interested in.”
Related: Avalanche warning issued for northern Utah mountains after deadly week
