Avalanches in Utah Last Winter

1st July 2024

The Utah Avalanche Center reports that 902 avalanches were reported from the backcountry during the 150-day forecast season. Utah received 131% of its average snowfall, with the statewide snow water…
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The Utah Avalanche Center reports that 902 avalanches were reported from the backcountry during the 150-day forecast season.

Utah received 131% of its average snowfall, with the statewide snow water equivalent peaking at 18.8 inches on April 2.

The report said the mountains remained “mostly dry” until mid-October the first storm rolled through, followed by smaller storms which left 1-2 feet of snow.

November conditions were similar to those in October, bringing a few storms “and things were shaping up for a potentially stable snowpack to remain in place,” the report said.

A relatively mild December had the Utah Avalanche Center thinking “we had it made;” a feeling that ended in January when a high pressure system remained over the Intermountain West for three weeks.

“We watched our snowpack morph into a thick layer of weak, faceted, sugary snow,” said the UAC.

“Snowfall returned around the second week of January and the proverbial wheels fell off the bus.”

From mid-January 300 avalanches were recorded with several people buried.

Two skiers died.

They were the only fatalities of the season.