New mobile app enhances safety for Utah backcountry enthusiasts

Avalanche in Dutch Draw in Park City Feb. 8. 2025. Photo: Elizabeth Ruark

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Avalanche Center has launched a new mobile app designed to provide backcountry travelers with critical safety information at their fingertips.

Available on both Android and iOS platforms, the app offers users immediate access to avalanche forecasts, weather conditions and emergency resources across Utah’s backcountry regions.

“The UAC’s new mobile application provides backcountry users with all of the information they need to both plan their day in the backcountry and stay safe while traveling in the backcountry,” Chad Brackelsberg of the Utah Avalanche Center said. “It builds on the functionality of the website by providing quick access.”

When users first open the app, they are presented with a map of Utah displaying all forecast regions and their current avalanche danger ratings. The interface allows users to quickly access specific regional forecasts by tapping on the desired area.

The application’s comprehensive features include daily avalanche forecasts with danger assessments, recent avalanche reports, and observational data filtered by region. Users can also access National Weather Service forecasts, real-time data from regional weather stations, and weather cameras that provide hourly visual updates from the past 24 hours.

For travel planning, the app includes current road conditions, traffic updates, and links to road cameras specific to each region.

Safety features include an inclinometer to measure slope angles in the field, helping users avoid dangerous terrain during elevated avalanche conditions. The emergency contact section provides users with their exact coordinates and elevation, along with phone numbers for local dispatch services.

The app also allows users to submit their own backcountry observations and create bookmarks for National Weather Service point forecasts for frequently visited areas.

The Utah Avalanche Center was developed with funding from KÜHL and the Division of Outdoor Recreation.

As winter recreation continues to grow in popularity across Utah’s mountains, officials hope the new mobile tool will help backcountry enthusiasts make more informed decisions in avalanche terrain.