Utah's 5th Annual Avalanche Awareness Week is Upon Us! Five years ago the Utah Legislature passed House Bill 380, recognizing the first week of December as Avalanche Awareness Week. Join the Utah Avalanche Center and the Division of Outdoor Recreation to celebrate the Fifth Annual Avalanche Awareness Week, from December 3 - December 10. The goal of this week is to ultimately save lives through activities that promote avalanche awareness, education, and safety. We have a variety of events to promote avalanche safety this week. See the list of events below to find one near …

"Winning the Avalanche Game" was the very first full-length avalanche education video in North America that we are aware of. It was released in 1996 by the Utah Avalanche Center, mostly produced, filmed and edited by former Director Bruce Tremper. For many years, this was the standard video for most avalanche classes. It was one of the first projects done by the fledgling Forest Service National Avalanche Center with Doug Abromeit and Bruce Tremper working together. While some parts may seem dated, the info in these videos is still very valid. Watching it all is a great refresher. …

Batteries for Beacons Program The goal of the program is to get you FREE batteries for your avalanche beacon! It will kick off with Avalanche Awareness Week on December 4. Bring your beacon into a participating shop between December 4, 2023 and February 1, 2024. Sign up by scanning a QR Code (or clicking here) and providing your name, email, and recreation region. When you sign up and receive batteries, you are eligible for a drawing for avalanche rescue gear. Winners will be drawn on February 1! Find a list of participating shops below: Participating Shops ADS …

This article was originally published on Powder.com Every little grain of snow changes dramatically, sometimes in a matter of hours, as a result of subtle changes in temperature and pressure. As skiers and riders, we all know snow. It blankets the mountains with deep powder during the cold winter months offering endless ground for play. But what if I told you that snow is actually a “warm” material? It’s not just warm, it’s hot! Sounds crazy, but understanding this concept can help unlock the science of snow. It can help us understand why powder conditions or …

The million dollar question: This time of year, everyone wants to know how much snow we'll get. What are the predictions? My standard response is that it's going to be a huge winter! Why not? We're all eternal optimists, and I was right last winter which went beyond record breaking to nearly historic levels. So, really, what about this coming winter? There are a few things we can say. It's an El Nino winter. According to the Climate Prediction Center of the National Weather Service (NWS) - "El Niño is anticipated to continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter …

This article orginally appeared in BackcountryMagazine.com on February 1, 2019 How quick pits improve decision-making In another article on BackcountryMagazine.com, Sarah Carpenter described six steps for doing a “quick pit” and answering the question “Am I missing anything?” Make sure to read if you haven’t already. I’d like to offer a few reasons to dig a quick pit, including how it helps our decision making. In mid-December I was skiing on Kessler Peak in the Wasatch Mountains. Strong winds had ruined the skiing on many slopes, and we were searching for …

Springtime in the mountains is one of the best times of the year. Longer days and lots of sunshine bring on great corn riding, bigger objectives, and changing avalanche problems. While those pesky weak layers we’ve been worrying about all season start to become dormant, we begin turning our attention to wet avalanches. While these avalanches are harder to predict than dry avalanches, a few signs can indicate the potential for these slow yet powerful slides to release. Recent wet avalanche activity, roller balls or ‘cinnamon rolls’ beginning to fall down the mountainside, …