Sheriff's Office warns backcountry skiers of high avalanche danger

SALT LAKE CITY – High avalanche danger warnings were set in place along portions of the Uintas and Wasatch Range Tuesday, after heavy snow and winds made snowpack unstable. The Juab County Sheriff's Office said the high avalanche danger warning would be in effect from 6 a.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday. "Multiple days of heavy snow combined with strong winds have created widespread areas of unstable snow," the Sheriff's Office said. "Both human-triggered and natural avalanches are likely." The Sheriff's Office advised people to avoid all avalanche terrain, stay away from slopes steeper than 30 degrees, and to carry avalanche rescue equipment. Portions of the Wasatch Mountains, near Interstate 80, and the Western Uinta Mountains are reportedly affected. The Utah Avalanche Center asked people to avoid upper portions of Porter Fork, as Salt Lake County Search and Rescue teams are operating in the area.

Active avalanche control will be underway in upper Porter Fork due to SLCOSAR operations. Please avoid the area while their teams are working. — UtahAvalancheCenter (@UACwasatch) December 31, 2024

For more detailed information, backcountry skiers can click here.

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