Avalanche forecast

Ogden

Issued Jan 12, 2026valid to Jan 13, 2026Utah Avalanche Center

Avalanche danger

Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline

Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

There is a MODERATE avalanche danger at the upper elevations and on sunny, mid-elevation slopes where human-triggered avalanches are possible. Avalanches may involve recent wind drifted snow at the upper elevations and sluffing in wet snow on sunny slopes and in dry snow on steep northerly slopes.

Avalanche problems

Storm Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Possible
Size
2
(Let's call it "new-ish" snow.) There are three possible issues to watch for with our snowfall from last Thursday:

1. Wet Loose Snow: Expect minor, wet-loose avalanche activity on solar/sunny slopes as the day warms. Although these should be minor, be sure not to get caught in a steep terrain trap or carried over rocks.

2. Wind Drifts: Although most wind drifts have settled out and are now unreactive, there are some upper elevation slopes where you can find dense wind drifts that formed Friday or Saturday that may be reactive. Saturday's sledder-triggered avalanche on Whiskey Hill near Monte Cristo is a perfect example of the type of avalanche that is possible (photo below).

3. Sluffing: The snow surface is quickly weakening with facets and surface hoar in the top few inches of snow on shady, northerly aspects which may sluff easily on steep slopes. Just as with minor wet, loose snow, even a small sluff could carry you over rocks in steeper terrain.

Sledder-triggered slide from Saturday on Whiskey Hill.
Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Unlikely
Size
2
Recent field observations and reports from Ogden area resorts indicate that - although there are facets at the base of the snowpack on upper-elevation northerly-facing slopes - the problem is going dormant. The most suspect terrain are steep, north-facing slopes at the upper elevations that have been recently wind-loaded.

Snow and Weather

This Morning: Temperatures are in the upper 20's through the mid 30's °F and winds are from the north/northwest and light, less than 10 mph.

Today: Sunny skies with temperatures rising into the upper 30's and low 40's °F. Winds will remain light, with gusts near 20 mph at the uppermost elevations.

A sprawling ridge of high pressure dominates our weather for the next 7-10 days, with mostly sunny skies, warm temperatures, and light winds.

Solar aspects will have a sun crust, with cold, dry snow on northerly slopes.

Additional Info

Ian McCammon and Kelly McNeil's 2024 paper Six Tips That Could Save Your Life (Recent updates to Safety Messaging) is worth a re-read. It could save your life.

Recent Activity

Wet-loose avalanche activity was reported from Sunday, including Derek DeBruin's observation from Mt.Ogden with large, wet-loose avalanches on aspects facing west through southwest.

We continue to receive many excellent, high-quality observations.

General Announcements

This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

Observations and Avalanches

Backcountry Emergency Procedures