VIDEO: Utah Avalanche Center Forecaster Warns That it Will Be “A Dangerous Winter in the Wasatch Once It Snows” “There is no doubt that we’re going to have a dangerous winter in the Wasatch once it snows.” – Trent Meisenheimer, Utah Avalanche Center Lack of snowfall has caused the existing snow in the Wasatch to become weak, faceted, and sugary—the perfect recipe for avalanches. And worse yet, there’s no snow expected for northern Utah for at least another week, […] Avalanche AvyBrains | December 3, 2020 1 Comment
The Forgotten Mile-Wide Avalanche That Struck Northern Utah in 1986 | 1 Million Cubic Yards of Snow, 60 Feet of Debris My landlord’s name is Pete. He’s in his sixties and has been skiing here in the Wasatch since he was my age or younger (I am 23). He’s seen his fair share of skiing and avalanches. I was riding up with Pete to Alta Ski Area this afternoon when I learned about the Wood Camp Hollow avalanche that happened in […] Avalanche Martin Kuprianowicz | December 2, 2020 6 Comments
13th Annual Utah Snow and Avalanche Workshop Streaming Live November 10-12 Winter’s knocking—time to kick your avalanche brain into gear. The Utah Avalanche Center will be holding a virtual snow and avalanche workshop next week from Tuesday, November 10 to Thursday, Nov. 10. Utah Snow and Avalanche WorkshopCheck out the details below courtesy of the UAC: The first major storm of the season is quickly approaching and so is the Utah Snow […] Backcountry SnowBrains | November 4, 2020 0 Comments
Utah Avalanche Center Podcast: “Shame and the Social Contract” Up to 90% of non-fatal avalanches do not get reported. But why? In America, there is a strong culture of shaming when it comes to avalanches. No one wants to admit that they messed up and triggered a dangerous avalanche. Related: What I Learned From Triggering an Avalanche in the Backcountry Last Season In this podcast, Utah Avalanche Center forecaster […] Backcountry AvyBrains | October 8, 2020 0 Comments
Don’t Miss the 27th Annual UAC Backcountry Benefit on September 10th | Last Chance to Get Party Pack Tickets Do you hear that? That silent churning in your gut, that gradual shift in your attitude as the leaves die prettily and the temperatures drop? That’s winter you’re hearing. It’s creeping up on you. Within the span of less than two surprisingly short months, snow will soon be falling and you’ll be in the backcountry again. You know this. We […] Backcountry SnowBrains | September 4, 2020 0 Comments
Utah Avalanche Center Director Addresses Expectations for Next Winter | More Backcountry Users Than Ever Before Last season ended tragically and this next one will start weirdly. Because winter is just around the corner, we wanted to get an image in our heads of what to expect next season so we reached out to Mark Staples for insight, the director of the Utah Avalanche Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Related: Why You Need to Get […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | September 1, 2020 0 Comments
Why You Need to Get Your Backcountry Gear Now | Gear Shortages Possible When powder-coated lifts stopped spinning in the middle of last season, touring skins went like candy. As did touring bindings, beacons, probes, shovels, and all that is related to backcountry skiing/snowboarding, gear-wise. And industry professionals such as backcountry ski shop owners and avalanche forecasters expect it happen it all over again (the gear flying off store shelves, not the closing […] Backcountry Martin Kuprianowicz | August 26, 2020 2 Comments
Summary: Utah Avalanche Center 2019-2020 Annual Report The Utah Avalanche Center (UAC), responsible for the 9 Utah forecast regions, put out a 21-page annual report for the 2019-2020 season. Here are some of the main points: Statistics: Snow/avalanche 109% average snowpack 314 human triggered avalanches 28 people caught 15 people buried 2 people killed Budget $1,013,000 total budget 32% from federal, state, county governments 68% from private […] Avalanche Clay Malott | July 24, 2020 0 Comments
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