BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — Search and rescue crews responded to a backcountry avalanche Saturday morning near the Cardiff Fork trailhead about nine miles up the canyon near the Mill D North Trailhead and Butler Fork Trailhead.
The avalanche was reported about 10:30 a.m., and Salt Lake County Search and Rescue teams were dispatched to the area. Officials confirmed a search operation was underway but said they did not immediately have information about whether anyone was buried or injured in the slide. Medical helicopters are on standby.
Both directions of state Route 190 were closed to allow crews to conduct search efforts, significantly affecting canyon traffic. Drivers should expect heavy delays.
The response comes after two people died in separate avalanches earlier in the week, the first avalanche-related fatalities of winter 2025-2026. The Utah Avalanche Center has warned of high avalanche danger in the backcountry after several feet of snow fell on Utah’s mountains, accumulating on weak layers formed during a prolonged dry spell. Over 50 avalanches have been reported statewide in less than two days after a major storm moved through northern Utah on Wednesday.
