Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT Never Opened Today Due to “Extreme Avalanche Danger” + Alta & Snowbird Placed Under “Interlodge”

Extreme avalanche danger and snowfall rates up to 2″ per hour kept the road into Little Cottonwood Canyon (Hwy 210) closed all day today and kept both Alta & Snowbird under “Maximum Security Interlodge” all day today.

Interlodge is where no one in the Alta nor Snowbird areas is allowed to go outside due to the very high risk of avalanches.

🚧 #RoadClosureUpdate 🚧 #SR210 will remain CLOSED to the public for the day and into tomorrow morning (2/17) due to avalanche hazard. Control work ongoing & high snowfall rates/high hazard.

Traffic closed in BOTH directions until further notice.

No est reopening at this time. https://t.co/RK5hzDD3B8

— UDOT Cottonwood Canyons (@UDOTcottonwoods) February 16, 2021

Interlodge is rare, usually only happening once or twice per season.  

Last season it only happened once, but for 54-hours.

Alta just saw 26″ of new snow in 24-hours.

Utah’s snowpack has been extremely dangerous this season having already taken 6 lives this season.

• UAC: Full Report from the MillCreek Canyon, UT Avalanche That Killed 4 Skiers
• UAC: Full Report From the Avalanche That Killed a Skier Just Outside Park City Mountain Resort, UT
• UAC: Full Report From the Avalanche That Killed a Skier Just Outside Park City Mountain Resort, UT

The USA just saw its deadliest avalanche cycle history with 19 avalanche deaths in 16-days and it’s not over yet.

• 3 Dead in Avalanches in USA Yesterday | 2 in CO & 1 in MT | 19 Avalanche Deaths in 16-Days in USA

2/16 12:03PM The Town of Alta will remain on INTERLODGE until further notice. More avalanche mitigation expected.

— Alta Central (@AltaCentral) February 16, 2021