Utah avalanche risk considerable

Avalanche danger in Utah's back country is considerable, authorities said.

The Utah Avalanche Center said danger this week will rise on all of the sun-exposed slopes. Throughout most of the state, the danger was rated as "considerable" in Utah's mountains. Near Moab, avalanche forecasters elevated the danger to "high."

"Human-triggered and natural wet loose avalanches are likely and may run fast and far on a number of underlying slick crusts," avalanche forecaster Drew Hardesty said Wednesday.

— Ben Winslow