Avalanche — Wasatch Mountains South of I-80, Utah

2025-03-18 · Wasatch Mountains South of I-80, Utah

Event narrative

Law enforcement in addition to the Utah Avalanche Center reported a natural avalanche in Little Cottonwood Canyon between Snowbird and Alta, which resulted in the partial burial of 3 vehicles containing a total of 5 or 6 passengers. No injuries were reported, and the main canyon road was reopened at approximately 7:30 PM MST.

Wider weather episode

A progressive shortwave trough and a subsequent period of colder northwesterly flow brought accumulating snow and impacts to portions of Utah's mountains as well as in portions of the Salt Lake Valley. On the front side of this system, a period of strong winds were observed in several locations across western Utah, especially with and directly after frontal passage.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1238246. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.