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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Avalanche Center officials on Wednesday issued more backcountry avalanche warnings as heavy snow continues to pile up for a second atmospheric river in as many weeks.
The warnings, which cover many ranges in northern and southern Utah, only last until Thursday morning; however, the agency notes they will likely be extended into at least Friday. It also notes that there is "considerable" to "high" avalanche danger throughout the state at the moment.
"Several days of strong south winds and heavy snowfall are causing large avalanches that are running far downhill," the alert states. "Avoid being on or under any steep slope where avalanches run. There may not be any warning signs until an avalanche happens."
The Utah Avalanche Center has issued an Avalanche Warning for the mountains of central and southwest Utah as powerful winter storm continues. This remains in effect through 6AM Thursday and will likely be extended longer. #utwxpic.twitter.com/XcVJkM0d3U
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) February 7, 2024
Utah Department of Transportation officials said Little Cottonwood Canyon will be closed temporarily from 12:30 a.m. to about 8:30 a.m. Thursday to allow for avalanche mitigation in the canyon. The town of Alta issued interlodge travel restrictions during that time, urging people to stay indoors during the mitigation efforts.
UDOT spokesman John Gleason said there was a small avalanche near Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon on Wednesday, but it did not affect any roadways.
Utah's mountains have received plenty of snow over the past week from the two storms. Alta Ski Area, for example, reports that it's closing in on 4 feet of snow since snow returned last week. Other resorts and mountain locations have also received several feet of snow.
The amount of snow that's fallen isn't the only reason for the high avalanche threat. The storms have produced prolific precipitation numbers because there's so much water associated with them, which boosts the weight of the snow.
Utah's snowpack, a calculation of the water within the freshly fallen snow, is now up to 10.7 inches statewide, gaining an average of 2.1 inches since the start of the month. That means, on average, about one-fifth of this year's snowpack has fallen over the past week.
Some sites have received even higher totals than that. One of the Natural Resources Conservation Service's snowpack collection sites in the Cottonwood canyons has gained nearly 5 inches of water over the past week.
Utah Avalanche Center officials note that all of this heavier snow is starting to "overload" the layers of previous snowfall. The agency posted a video on social media last week explaining how this dynamic leads to many natural and human-caused avalanches.
Dozens of other avalanches have been reported to the Utah Avalanche Center over the past week, including at least two that carried people but did not lead to injuries on Tuesday. The agency advises that people avoid steep mountain terrain until the risks subside, noting that new avalanches will likely be "a few hundred feet wide and could be 3 to 6 feet deep" in some areas.
"Avoid being on or even underneath any steep slope," it wrote in another alert. "Please help spread the word about these deadly conditions."
