High avalanche danger reported across Utah, avalanche warning in effect
Feb 16, 2025, 6:00 PM
A screenshot of the Utah Avalanche Center website displays danger forecasts for Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.
SALT LAKE CITY— As the weekend winds down, Utah Avalanche Center’s Sunday forecast said avalanche danger was high in almost every Utah region.
An avalanche warning is in effect until 6 a.m. on Monday. UAC’s website said the warning is in effect across Utah, listing the following regions:
- Salt Lake
- Provo
- Uintas
- Skyline
- Abajos
- Southwestern Utah
Per the alert, heavy snow and wind drifting have created instability across all elevations.
A screenshot from the Utah Avalanche Center website shows text for their Feb. 16, 2025 warning.
UAC forecasts asked backcountry users to avoid entering terrain on or under slopes greater than 30°.
Salt Lake avalanche danger
According to forecaster Dave Kelly, who authored the Salt Lake region report, the high avalanche danger rating applied to all aspects above 8,000 feet in elevation.
Although slopes below 8,000 feet received a considerable rating, conditions are still dangerous. UAC is asking backcountry users to avoid slopes with an angle greater than 30°.
“Lower angle terrain has great coverage and soft surface conditions are everywhere on slopes under 30°,” Kelly said.
UAC said they received over 20 reports of avalanches yesterday. The reports page indicated a mix of naturally triggered and human-triggered slides.
“Many of the avalanches were triggered remotely or unintentionally, there were great write-ups from yesterday’s avalanche activity and more than one mentioned luck,” Kelly wrote in the report.
Sunday’s report listed the number one concern as wind-drifted snow. In the Salt Lake region, strong winds have caused sensitivity across elections.
“Cornices have grown large and may break further back from ridgelines than you expect,” Kelly said.
The forecast urged backcountry users to avoid wind-drifted slopes.
How does wind contribute to avalanche danger?
When forecasters refer to wind-drifted slopes, they are saying wind loading has happened in the area.
Avalanche.org explained that wind picks up snow and carries it, making some snow areas thicker. Added weight adds stress to the snowpack where it is deposited.
Additionally, wind can add snow as much as five times faster than if it were to fall from the sky.
The second problem listed in UAC’s Salt Lake region report was a persistent weak layer — which has been a common issue in reports all season.
According to Kelly’s report, there are still several weak layers within the snowpack.
“Avoiding avalanche terrain is the only way to avoid these avalanches,” according to the report.
One of the layers dates back to Nov. or Dec. UAC said it has already contributed to several large avalanches.
Another layer, which spans all aspects and elevations, formed at the end of January.
New snow was the third avalanche problem listed in the Salt Lake report.
What about other areas?
Similar to the Salt Lake region, wind-drifted snow was the number one problem in the Ogden and Provo areas. It was the second problem listed for the Logan and Uintas regions.
Persistent weak layer is also a common issue across the state, being listed in every forecast except for the Abajos and Southwest regions. Neither of their forecasts listed problems.
The only area that did not receive an avalanche danger rating of high on Sunday was Moab. However, conditions were still dangerous, being rated as considerable.
On the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale, considerable is just one level lower than high.
Moab region avalanche danger
Similar to Salt Lake’s avalanche problems, the Moab area is experiencing a persistent weak layer and new snow.
Persistent weak layers were listed as the first problem in the Moab area. Forecaster Dave Garcia, the author of the region’s Sunday forecast, explained that “widespread collapsing and cracking tells us all we need to know. The snowpack is unstable.”
The second problem for the Moab area is new snow, which adds weight to slopes. Per Garcia’s report, slab avalanches are possible on any slope that had snow before the recent storm.
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