Avalanche danger elevated in Utah

The avalanche danger in Utah has reached its highest levels this year.

The Utah Avalanche Center has rated the danger in the mountains of the entire state as "high," warning that it could rise to an extreme level if the latest winter storm produces as much snow as predicted.

"Human triggered avalanches are a certainty. Natural avalanches are expected," avalanche forecaster Brett Kobernik wrote in a posting at utahavalanchecenter.org. "Backcountry travel is not recommended. The avalanche danger is expected to remain HIGH over the next few days into the weekend."

On Christmas Eve, friends Erik Jorgensen, 22, of Paradise, and Jesse Ryan Johnson, 23, of Hyrum, were snowmobiling on the backside of Logan Peak when they were caught up in an avalanche. The center said Thursday at the slide was up to 8 feet deep and 2,000 feet wide.

"It was a nasty hard slab consisting of both old and newer wind-deposited snow, which overloaded weak sugary or faceted layers near the ground," avalanche forecaster Toby Weed wrote.

"Numerous avalanches were triggered in the backcountry on Christmas Eve by snowmobilers, skiers, snowboarders and others who are just looking for a little untracked powder to try out their new toys in."

Avalanches were reported as far down in the Salt Lake Valley as Wasatch Boulevard and another at the junction of state Route 248 and U.S. 40 in Summit County. Avalanche control work was being conducted in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Thursday morning. Road closures were expected throughout the day in Big Cottonwood for control work there.

E-MAIL: bwinslow@desnews.com