Officials warn Utahns of ‘considerable' danger after dozens of recent avalanches
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah Avalanche Center said avalanche danger is 'considerable' Tuesday, and warned Utahns to avoid travel in avalanche terrain.
On Tuesday morning, the center released its mountain forecast saying, 'Human-triggered avalanches are likely on most slopes.' The center deemed the danger level as 'considerable' which is directly in the middle between low/moderate and high/extreme. It strongly advised Utahns to avoid backcountry 'avalanche terrain.'
Over the past week, officials said 60 avalanches were reported to the center and more than half of them were triggered by humans.
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The center said it has seen avalanches 'on almost every aspect and elevation' making conditions highly unpredictable. The number of natural avalanches and overall signs of instability are decreasing, but the mountain-goers are not out of the clear yet.
'The fact remains that none of us trust this snowpack,' Paige Pagnucco with the Utah Avalance Center wrote. 'I don't encourage anyone to try to navigate the hazard right now. Plenty of excellent powder riding can be found on slopes less than 30 degrees. Plain and simple.'
There was a 'close call' on Monday, authorities said, when a skier set off a large avalanche in Bigg Cottonwood Canyon. The skier survived the avalanche by grabbing a tree branch and holding on as the snow tumbled past him.
'We've had four people tragically die already this year. Please do not try to outsmart the snowpack. Keep it simple and avoid steep terrain,' the center advised.
MJ Jewkes contributed to this story.
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