Warm temps raise avalanche dangers

Warm temperatures over the weekend could create dangerous avalanche conditions in the canyons.

The Utah Avalanche Center issued a warning about conditions in northern Utah, especially in the Salt Lake-area mountains. Dangerous conditions are expected through Tuesday in the backcountry areas.

"This spring has been unusually cold and snowy and this will be the first major warm-up of the spring," the UAC said in a statement Friday. "Just like people, snow does not like rapid changes. When cold, dry snow warms up for the first time, it comes as quite a shock to the snowpack, which will produce wet, loose snow avalanches and occasional wet slab avalanches on many steep slopes.

"These will likely occur on most aspects and elevations but especially on steep slopes facing the south half of the compass in the heat of the afternoon."