Avalanche

Avalanche: North Ogden Canyon Road

UAC Staff/UDOTOgden
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Avalanche

Weak Layer
New Snow/Old Snow Interface
Trigger Type
Natural
Vertical Fall
381 m
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
76 cm
Start Zone Aspect
Northeast
Avalanche Problem
New Snow
Start Zone Elevation
2073 m

Plow drivers encountered brand new large piles of avalanche debris on the North Ogden Canyon road early Friday morning. Natural avalanches from a fairly extensive overnight natural cycle had crossed and buried the road in several places. (I counted 4 spots on Sunday)

The problem is just too much snow. Several feet of snow accumulated in the days prior to this event, and we noted very high rates of accumulation overnight.

Avalanche paths across northern Utah are primed to produce long running avalanches, they are smoothed in by deep snow and greased by previous avalanches. During recent storms, natural avalanches of new snow have been running frequently, and fast and far in many paths. at all elevations.