“Avalanches are officially on the menu” as Utah’s thin snowpack produces early-season slide

One foot of drifted snow broke loose above a bed of rocks and bare ground on this northeast-facing slope, showing how little coverage it takes for early-season terrain to produce an avalanche. Photo: UAC // Brooke Maushund

The UAC said the thin snowpack and exposed terrain created an unforgiving environment, with rocks just below the surface increasing the consequences of even a small slide.

The Utah Avalanche Center confirmed a human-triggered avalanche Saturday on a high-elevation slope in the Red Pine area of Little Cottonwood Canyon, underscoring the early-season instability developing across the mountains.

The slide occurred on a northeast-facing slope at roughly 10,400 feet, just below a wind-loaded ridgeline. According to UAC forecaster Brooke Maushund, a rider descending the slope triggered the avalanche, which broke more than a foot deep and approximately 150 feet wide. It failed on a layer of faceted snow sitting above rocky early-season ground.

Recent strong southwest winds drifted additional snow into the area, creating a stiff slab over the weak layer. Maushund visited the site Sunday to inspect the crown and debris.

No injuries were reported. The rider was able to escape the moving snow.

The UAC said the thin snowpack and exposed terrain created an unforgiving environment, with rocks just below the surface increasing the consequences of even a small slide. Forecasters warned that people seeking early-season turns should treat avalanche terrain the same as midwinter.

“Avalanches are officially on the menu,” the center said in its report.

For the most current avalanche forecast, go to https://utahavalanchecenter.org/forecast/salt-lake