As temperatures rise Sunday, so will the danger of avalanches rise in areas that don’t typically see them, according to a warning issued by the Utah Avalanche Center.
The foothills and mountains of the Wasatch Front, Tooele Valley, Cache Valley and the Ogden Valley are all in “considerable” avalanche danger for wet avalanches at all elevations, the Utah Avalanche Center announced Sunday morning. If conditions are sunny enough Sunday, the danger could spike to “high” for wet snow avalanches, the center added.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted Sunday that people should be “cautious” over the next few days.
“Usually we can anticipate and even trigger avalanches safely, but we’ve literally never had this much snow/water,” Cox posted. “Wet (avalanche) slides and potential land slides are possible in areas not seen before. Please be vigilant.”
The high on Sunday is expected to be 67 in the Salt Lake City area, with plenty of sun, and a low of 44 degrees Sunday night. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the highs will be in the 70s, with mostly sunny skies, and temperatures aren’t forecast to cool down again until Thursday.
For Sunday, the center advises people to “remember to watch your exits and plan to avoid terrain traps in the heat of the day.” People should also stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30 degrees, and stay away from avalanche run-outs.
The high temperatures and sunshine will create “widespread areas of unstable wet snow,” according to the Utah Avalanche Center’s announcement. Cornice falls, which is “the release of an overhanging mass of snow formed by wind deposits,” the center said, are likely, as well as wet avalanches of sun-softened snow.
Little Cottonwood Canyon will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday for downhill travel, close overnight, then reopen in the morning. Big Cottonwood Canyon is scheduled to be closed until about 4:30 p.m. Sunday for avalanche control, according to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).
Due to the warm weather, UDOT announced Sunday afternoon that prolonged closures of Little Cottonwood Canyon lasting multiple days could begin Monday. The department advised people to consider heading down the canyon Sunday night so they don’t get stuck.
On Sunday around noon, a large natural avalanche was spotted in the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness, southwest of Logan. The center said, “chunks and smaller loose wet avalanches overrunning the slope caused a much larger slab avalanche.” No injuries were reported.
An avalanche spilled across the highway and into Snowbird resort Thursday afternoon, prompting the resort to go into interlodge. No one was buried under the slide, according to ski patrollers who searched the area. Under interlodge, people are required to take shelter in a permanent structure and are not allowed to go outside.
