[protected-iframe id=”9c679d7ac0c16ba0338fc8554a39ab99-65244901-70298638″ info=”http://www.ksl.com/api/jwplayer/player.php?file=http://media.ksl.com/1482809313-675278197.mp4&image=//media.ksl.com/1482809313-675278197.jpg&width=640&height=360″ width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””]
“The most dangerous time is early season, as we’re starting to develop the winter snowpack, and it’s most dangerous because we tend to have weak layers of snow near the ground that we can affect.” Craig Gordon Utah Avalanche Center Forecaster
A Christmas storm blessed the mountains of Utah with ample snow to shred but has created dangerous avalanche conditions we should all be aware of. Craig Gordon, Utah Avalanche Center Forecaster, spoke with KLS news about this years snowpack:
“That prolonged dry autumn … was really a good thing as far as the backcountry snowpack is concerned. We had kind of a late start to the winter, but that late start actually helped us out. That is the perfect scenario for building a stable snowpack.”
If you are a novice and looking for some backcountry exposure Gordon suggests:
“Go out with experienced partners. Those are going to be the people who are going to help save you. It is mostly inexperienced people (who trigger and are killed in slides). It is anybody who’s sort of new to the game. … People who have many experience are less apt to be caught and killed in avalanches.”
KSL goes in depth into some interesting avalanche facts and figures, if you are interested in continuing to read go HERE.