What do Southern Utahns need to know about avalanche risk?

A snowmobile rider died in an avalanche, Circleville Mountain, Feb. 8, 2019 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Avalanche Center, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — What do Southern Utahns need to know about avalanche risk?

Debris caused by an avalanche, Circleville Mountain, Feb. 8, 2019 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Avalanche Center, St. George News

Depending on conditions, anyone heading into Utah’s backcountry in snowy, mountainous terrain is at risk of triggering an avalanche, Brett Kobernik, an avalanche forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center, told St. George News.

While the center doesn’t offer regular forecasting in southwest Utah, including the Tushar Mountains and Brian Head or Zion back countries, they cover the region when warranted by the conditions, Kobernik said.

For instance, if there are pre-existing weak layers of snow under the current snowpack and weather forecasts predict large amounts of snow.

The “biggest clue” that an area is currently at risk of avalanches is evidence of recent occurrences, including slopes that have “cracked out,” where the snow has slid off, or a pile of debris at the bottom of a slope, Kobernik said.

Other signs people should be aware of include heavy snowfall and powerful wind, which can create snowdrifts that are often sensitive while forming or directly after, Kobernik said.

As a precaution, those traveling in Utah’s backcountry should avoid being on or below avalanche terrain, which is dictated by how steep a slope is, he said.

“The magic number is 30 degrees,” he said. “So if a slope is steeper than 30 degrees, it’s possible that you could have an avalanche on it. If you stay on slopes less steep than 30 degrees, you’re safe.”

Snow cracking near where a snowmobile rider died in an avalanche, Circleville Mountain, Feb. 8, 2019 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Avalanche Center, St. George News

However, “the one caveat” for this advice is that an avalanche can also be triggered from below a steep slope, Kobernik said, adding that he chooses travel routes to avoid such slopes.

“(It’s) the easiest way to stay safe in the backcountry,” he said.

Those caught in an avalanche should “fight like Hell,” Kobernik said.

“If you’re actually caught, and you’re traveling downhill, you do anything you can to get off of that moving snow,” he said. “You try to swim, grab trees, grab a hold of anything — rocks, anything that you might be able to use to get yourself to stop.”

Additionally, backcountry visitors should carry avalanche gear, including a shovel, an avalanche probe and an avalanche beacon, Kobernik said, adding that every member of the party should have that equipment on hand.

“If you are buried in an avalanche, then your partners can use the electronic beacon to locate where you are under the snow and use the probe to determine exactly where you are and the shovel to dig you out,” he said. “Hopefully.”

It’s difficult to find a person buried in a debris pile resulting from an avalanche, and the chances of survival drop significantly after 15 minutes under the snow, Kobernik said.

A snowmobile rider died in an avalanche, Circleville Mountain, Feb. 8, 2019 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Avalanche Center, St. George News

While enough oxygen is present in the snowpack, people tend to breathe in their own carbon dioxide and asphyxiate. A person found in time has about a 93% chance of survival, according to the center’s website. After 45 minutes, their chances drop to 20-30%. But nearly zero individuals survive after two hours.

“Your only chance to survive is if your partners can dig you out,” he said.

For this reason, Kobernik suggests taking turns when recreating on or near avalanche terrain.

“The rule is you only put one person on the slope at a time, so if something does happen, then one person’s caught — not the entire group,” he said.

Additionally, while search and rescue personnel in mountainous regions are versed in avalanche safety gear and regularly train throughout the winter, Kobernik said it could take several hours to reach a scene after an avalanche is reported.

“If search and rescue is called, oftentimes, it ends up being a body recovery, unfortunately,” he said.

In 90% of cases, the victim of an avalanche or a member of their group triggered it, according to the center’s website, adding that it is highly unlikely for a person to “get out of the way” as an average-sized, dry avalanche moves at approximately 80 mph.

A snowmobile rider died in an avalanche, Circleville Mountain, Feb. 8, 2019 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Avalanche Center, St. George News

The last fatal avalanche reported in southwest Utah was in February 2019, when three individuals from Washington County were snowmobiling near Circleville Mountain, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.

The group had ridden in the area before but had no formal avalanche training.

At the end of the first day riding on the trip, the men parked under a bowl north of the peak when an avalanche was triggered from the east, the center reported.

Two riders were caught in the snow, with one fully buried approximately 10-15 feet downhill from his snowmobile, and one partially buried about 40 feet from his snowmobile. None of the men had avalanche rescue gear.

Of the partially buried man, only his fingers stuck out of the snow, which was enough for him to dig himself out of the debris and call 911.

The two surviving riders searched for their fully buried companion for approximately 30 minutes and waited for search and rescue. However, rescue crews couldn’t approach safely until the following day, when they recovered the remaining rider’s body, according to the center.

To learn more about avalanche risks and safety, visit the Utah Avalanche Center’s website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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