Avalanche forecast

Ogden

Issued Dec 30, 2025valid to Dec 31, 2025Utah Avalanche Center

Avalanche danger

Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline

Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A MODERATE avalanche danger exists in the backcountry. You'll find loose dry and loose wet avalanches, pockets of shallow slabs of wind blown snow in their respective locations (read on below) and a low-probability but high consequence scenario with triggering a hard slab that steps 1-2' down into old faceted snow.

Hot Tip! - the best and safest riding is found on mid and upper elevation shady low angle slopes.

Avalanche problems

Storm Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Possible
Size
2
Sluffing of the storm snow will be possible today, particularly on the steepest solar aspects as the storm snow transitions to damp and then wet with today's sun and rapidly rising temperatures. WET SLUFFS may run naturally and with provocation and will run fast/far and entrain lots of snow as they cascade down the slick Christmas Eve rain crust (CERC!). Pinwheels, rollerballs, and natural sluffs are clear signs you've started to overstay your welcome and it's time to change aspects.

DRY SLUFFS (aka Dry Point Releases) are also possible in the low density storm snow in very steep terrain. Again, the rain crust is the compounding issue as the loose snow wants to run fast and far on the slick crusts.
Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
Alpine
Treeline
Below treeline
Likelihood
Possible
Size
2
There is a persistent weak layer (PWL) of weak, faceted snow and depth hoar down near the ground on northerly-facing aspects, primarily in the mid and upper elevations. Matt Barry's photo from yesterday shows the poor structure and Sunday's avalanche on Sunset Peak in the Alta/Brighton backcountry, failed on this PWL.

Dealing with a PWL is already tricky business, and now the Christmas Rain Crust further complicates things as the crust may be strong enough on some slopes to support the recent load of new and wind-drifted snow, while other slopes may have a thinner crust where a rider may be able to affect the PWL and trigger an avalanche up to two feet deep and over a hundred feet wide. Ski cuts are notoriously ineffective tools at mitigating this problem as they often allow you to get well onto a slope before triggering an avalanche that propagates above you; existing tracks on a slope are also not an indication of stability (there are plenty of tracks adjacent to the Sunset Peak slide.)

On Friday, the UAC staff worked with the snow safety team at Powder Mountain, and in this video, Brooke Maushaund describes the situation of the snowpack ahead of the Saturday storm that left additional snow above the PWL.

Recent Activity

Ski area control teams triggered shallow soft slabs of wind blown snow along the highest elevations. Otherwise, mostly quiet.

On Sunday in the Alta/Brighton backcountry, a skier triggered a 1-3' deep avalanche that stepped down to our old October/Nov PWL of faceted snow. This was on a steep northerly facing slope in the higher elevation bands.

Snow and Weather

Skies are clear.

Winds are generally light from the west-northwest except along the most exposed ridgelines (north and south Ogden skyline as well as James Peak) where they're averaging 20mph with gusts to 25. Mountain temps are in the upper 20s to mid-30s. With a building inversion, trailheads and basins are in the mid to upper teens.

For today, look for mostly sunny skies, light winds from the west-northwest, and temps in the mid to upper 30s; possibly low 40s.

All in all, riding conditions are decent in the cold post-Christmas storm snow and best on low angle slopes. Coverage, however, is still thin with just 12-24 inches of snow on the ground. Many low elevations and/or solar aspects are nearly bare.

We have a potentially wet storm arriving from the southwest Wednesday night. Storm totals may be 2-4" but with a rough rain-snow line at 8000'. Potentially unsettled (active?) late weekend into next week.

Matt Barry braved the thin conditions to head up the Cutler Ridge yesterday and his excellent report can be found HERE.

Derek DeBruin submitted an excellent observation from western side Ben Lomond from this past Saturday.

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