Avalanche — Wasatch Mountains South of I80, Utah

1998-11-07 · Wasatch Mountains South of I80, Utah

Event narrative

A 21-year-old New Hampshire man was killed and a woman seriously injured after an avalanche swept a party of 5 snowboarders down a rocky slope in Little Cottonwood Canyon of the Wasatch Mountains. The group was descending Mt. Baldy at Snowbird when a slab of snow 80 feet by 18 inches broke loose. The northwest facing slope was at 10,500 feet elevation, and was 35-40 degrees in steepness. The avalanche fell about 500 feet through exposed rocks and cliff bands. The 21-year-old man was completely buried, and was dead when rescuers arrived. The woman injured her legs, back and chest, and was taken to the hospital in serious condition. The other 3 snowboarders managed to dig themselves out and suffered no injuries. The group had ventured into an area between Alta and Snowbird before either resort had opened, and before any crews had conducted avalanche control in the area.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5670862. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.