Avalanche forecasters warn of ‘considerable’ danger as weekend begins

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — A fresh dumping of new snow is drawing people into the backcountry as a storm Thursday and Friday brought several feet to some areas. Christian Romano was among those who decided to try some skiing off the White Pine trail head Friday.

“There was at least a couple feet of new snow,” Romano said. “It was tough going, trying to break trail, going uphill for sure.”

Avalanche danger was rated considerable through much of the Wasatch Front, with the exception of the Provo area, where it’s rated high danger. Greg Gagne, an avalanche forecaster with The Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center, said the danger levels are expected to remain the same through the weekend.

“People can approach avalanche terrain now, but you need the necessary training,” Gagne explained. “You need to assess the snowpack for stability. You’re also making a decision based upon what you saw in the avalanche forecast, and you’re keeping an eye on your partner in case an accident does happen.”

Gagne also emphasized the need to bring the proper safety equipment: a shovel, probe and beacon.

“We’re expecting a lot of traffic in the backcountry this weekend,” Gagne said. “We’re going to have an elevated avalanche danger, so people are going to have to temper their enthusiasm with that.”

Related: Avalanche danger still present as Utah snowpack begins to stabilize