SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Avalanche Center says that conditions in Utah's backcountry will be 'very dangerous' this weekend.
The center put out a release Thursday morning saying heavy snowfall and strong winds over the next several days are leading their forecasters to expect avalanche danger to rise to HIGH on many slopes across northern and central Utah and southeast Idaho. "Because the new snow will overload weak, pre-existing faceted snow, avalanches may be triggered from hundreds of feet away, making for particularly tricky and dangerous conditions," the center stated.
The Utah Avalanche Center reminded the public of the first accident of the season which happened Tuesday in theLogan Area mountains. There a snowmobiler was caught, carried, and fully buried in an avalanche. Luckily, his brother had the necessary equipment to find and dig him out.
Anyone who is traveling in the mountains is asked to keep in mind the following safety tips:
- As avalanche danger increases, staying out of backcountry avalanche terrain is the safest option. Avoid being on, under, or near slopes steeper than about 30 degrees.
- Check everyone in your group for operational avalanche rescue gear, and be sure everyone knows how to use it.
- Skiers and riders leaving resort bounders should know they may enter avalanche-prone terrain
- If you go into the backcountry, don't go alone. If you must go into avalanche terrain, cross steep slopes one person at a time while your companions watch from a safer location.
