Authorities in Utah advise vigilance in advance of Avalanche Awareness Week

Salt Lake City, Utah – With the arrival of Utah Avalanche Awareness Week, the Utah Avalanche Center has documented six avalanches occurring in the Salt Lake Mountains during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Though four of the six fell into the category of being human-caused, Dave Kelly, a forecaster with the Avalanche Center said no one was hurt in any of the incidents.

Kelly noted that the recent melting of the snow is expected, especially following the season’s first significant storm.

From the safety perspective, he also mentioned to avoid avalanche terrain, it’s always a good idea for skiers and snowboarders to stay on slopes less than 30 degrees.

At the same time, he said it’s also important to be ready for the unexpected on the slopes.

“It is our consistent advice for individuals to travel equipped with a beacon, a shovel, a probe, and a companion.” The beginning of the season is a great time of year to double-check and make sure that your beacon and all the software are up to date, and if you’re carrying an airbag, that software is up to date,” said Kelly. “And do some beacon practice with your partner while we wait for some more snow to fall.”

Utah Avalanche Awareness Week begins in earnest on Monday. The Utah Avalanche Center will be hosting a community Avalanche event at Sugar House Park from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.

To find out more about this week’s events, visit utahavalanchecenter.org.