Conditions have assembled perfect recipe for avalanches

The avalanche danger is high, and because of the unusual snow year, the chances of snow slides could remain high for weeks and even months.

The drought and warm temperatures early in the season created some very unstable snow surfaces, which, when combined with the high winds and the recent snow, have created a perfect recipe for avalanches.

That is why the Utah Avalanche Center is warning people to be extremely careful in the backcountry and urging those heading out to avoid the temptation of deep powder and untracked mountain slopes.

Drew Hardesty, a forecaster at the center, cautioned people to realize that this winter is very different from last winter.

"Last year, we had reoccurring snow storms ... storm after storm after storm, which created a pretty stable snowpack," he explained.

"This year, we have some very weak snow all over the place, and we're seeing the results. We've gotten into a good storm pattern, and it's overloading the weaker layers, and we're getting avalanches."

Along with the high-danger warning comes the recommendation that people without good avalanche knowledge and training or good route-finding skills "avoid the backcountry altogether ... Ride a chairlift and enjoy the mountains and let things settle down," he suggested.

The early-season drought created a condition called "sugar snow," which is a very unstable snow surface. There is no internal cohesion or bonding of the snow. When that type of snow is buried, the result is very unstable, very serious avalanche conditions.

"These weak surfaces," explained Hardesty, "can stick around for a long time — weeks and even months.

"And with the high winds and snow expected this week, we will start to see some large, long-running avalanches, and the danger jumping back to high."

Too often, however, the lure of fresh powder snow on a good slope is too much of a temptation, especially for some snowmobilers who believe they can outrun a slide should they ever be caught. The reality is an avalanche can hit between 60 and 80 miles per hour in a matter of seconds.

There are two types of avalanches — loose-snow and slab. Slab avalanches are the greatest threat to backcountry adventurers here in Utah. They are formed on slopes as a result of wind, falling snow and changing temperatures.

Slabs break loose when the weight of the slab of snow exceeds the bonding strength of the snowpack.