Avalanche forecast

Salt Lake

Utah Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
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Highlights

This morning, the avalanche danger is mostly LOW, rising to MODERATE on all mid- and upper-elevation slopes as the day warms. As snow surfaces soften, both natural and human-triggered avalanches will become possible, especially during periods of sun or when heat builds beneath thin cloud cover.

On NW-N-NE facing slopes above about 10,000 feet, it may still be possible to trigger a shallow slab that breaks within the recent snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    With warming daytime temperatures and increased overnight cloud cover, wet snow avalanches will become possible by later this morning. With only six days since the last storm, many snow surfaces are still unconsolidated, with wet and heavy snow present by midday, especially on west-, north-, and east-facing slopes, where there is more recent snow.

    Wet loose avalanches may start small and predictable, but are capable of entraining enough snow to be destructive.

    Stick to supportable snow on solar aspects this morning, but when the snow surface becomes slushy and wet, it's time to seek lower-angle slopes.

    Natural wet-loose avalanches from Monday afternoon on Sunset Peak. Photo: Torrey

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    Since last week's storm, avalanches releasing within the storm snow have decreased, but it remains possible to trigger a lingering pocket. The most recent examples of this problem have been on steep, upper elevation, north-facing slopes above 10,000 feet. Tuesday's skier-triggered soft slab in Wolverine Cirque is a great reminder to keep this problem on the radar.

    Look for any slopes that show signs of dry, wind-loaded snow, such as wind-affected texture, hollow, or pillow-shaped features, and avoid those slopes.

    Soft Slab avalanche in Wolverine Cirque on a northeast-facing slope at 10,500’ Photo: D-Tron.

Special Announcement

Human Factor Research: Researchers Ian McCammon and Sara Boilen are developing new tools for managing human factors for backcountry skiers and boarders. This survey asks about personal experiences with human factors and will take 7-8 minutes to complete. Link is HERE.

Recent Activity

No new avalanches were reported from the backcountry on Wednesday. On Tuesday, a skier triggered a soft slab avalanche in Wolverine Cirque on a steep northeast-facing slope at 10,500 feet. The skier was briefly caught before skiing off the slab. On Monday, a few natural wet-loose avalanches occurred on solar aspects in upper Little Cottonwood Canyon. Recent observations can be found here.

Snow and Weather

Overnight, there were scattered clouds, and temperatures dropped into the mid 30s °F, only dropping to freezing around 11,000'. Winds have continued to blow from the west at moderate speeds with strong gusts of around 30-45 mph at ridgetops, and have begun ticking up over the last few hours with gusts near 60 mph along the highest peaks. Given the broken variable cloud cover and slightly warmer temperatures, I'd expect a more superficial refreeze this morning compared to the last few.

Today, the variable cloud cover will remain, with a slight chance of rain and snow showers. This includes a slight chance of thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon. Expect moderate winds from the west, with gusts around 30 mph along the high ridges. Temperatures will rise to the upper 50s °F and low 60s °F.

Looking ahead, things are going to cool down and get stormy this weekend through early next week, though we are still working out the details. Saturday brings the first system, followed by a colder and more promising storm Sunday into Monday. Snow levels should stay below 8,000 feet for that second system, with expected snowfall ranging from light on Saturday (0.14 to 0.70" SWE) to more substantial Sunday and Monday (0.80 to 1.80" SWE).

Additional Info

We have published February 2026: Four Avalanche Fatalities in Five Days: a community review with most of the UAC Salt Lake office. This 38-minute video is worth sitting down and digesting. A huge thanks to UAC Education Manager & Forecaster McKinley Talty for his hard work putting this together behind the scenes.

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.

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