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BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — The Utah Department of Transportation is warning skiers and motorists of daily closures this week in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon because of avalanche dangers.
State Route 190 in Big Cottonwood Canyon will close each day from Sunday, April 9, through Thursday, April 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"No travel will be permitted between the mouth of (Big Cottonwood Canyon) and Cardiff Fork during this time period, and local travel is permitted above Cardiff Fork during the daily closures," UDOT said in a statement advising travelers to plan ahead.
State Route 210 in Little Cottonwood Canyon will temporarily reopen Saturday night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for downhill travel only. The roadway will then close overnight and reopen Sunday morning for uphill and downhill travel.
No roadside parking will be permitted in the canyon Sunday. The ski resorts and the town of Alta will be managing parking access in and out of their parking areas.
On Sunday, uphill and downhill travel will be permitted from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., but at 9 a.m., S.R. 210 will be closed to all travel until approximately 7 p.m.
"The potential exists for large, destructive avalanches that could affect infrastructure and/or damage buildings. Travelers should be prepared for prolonged closures of multiple days for S.R. 210 and adjust plans accordingly," UDOT said. "Prolonged closures for S.R. 210 could begin Monday, April 10. There is no estimated time for a full road opening."
The department says both closures are due to the high avalanche hazard impacting those routes.
"Current unprecedented conditions warrant extreme caution as deep snowpack and rising temperatures culminate to create extremely unpredictable avalanche scenarios. The UDOT avalanche team will be monitoring conditions closely and performing avalanche mitigation as necessary," UDOT said.
The department said it will provide updates on its social media platforms if there are any changes to the schedule or if any opening delays exceed 15 minutes.
