Avalanche danger 'considerable'

There is a considerable danger of avalanches in Utah, authorities said Wednesday.

The Utah Avalanche Center elevated the danger in the upper elevations thanks to new, windblown snow.

"With slightly more gusty winds along the northern crest of the Wasatch, ski patrol control work triggered numerous soft slabs up to 1 to 2 feet deep," forecaster Drew Hardesty said in an avalanche advisory posted on the center's Web site, utahavalanchecenter.org.

"Patrol work at Snowbasin found heightened sensitivity down low on the mountain, with some failure planes on last week's surface (frost) and near surface facets."

— Ben Winslow