Record-breaking warm temperatures have Utah avalanche forecasters worried the weather will destabilize the snowpack. That includes areas in the Wasatch Back like the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Utah Avalanche Center forecaster Bo Torrey told KPCW the advisory continues through Sunday.
“What we're worried about is as the warm temperatures influence the snowpack and start to put a large amount of melt water down through the snowpack. That water can pool on various interfaces throughout the snowpack and cause the release of large wet slab avalanches,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Thursday.
The avalanche center urges people not to ski, ride or snowmobile on steep slopes or the areas below them.
Torrey said until the weather cools, the danger will remain high.
“Right now, the actual riding conditions are quite poor, so the risk is high and the reward is especially low,” Torrey said. “If people are looking for good turns in the mountains, the ski area and on-piste is actually the best riding you can find right now.”
So far, four people have died in Utah avalanches this year, all in the span of a week. The Utah Avalanche Center will share an end-of-season report to help the community understand the fatal slides and risks. It is accepting questions online to answer in the final update.
Wasatch Back ski resorts are expected to remain open through March while a few others in the state have already closed for the season. A full list of closing days can be found here.
