Two skier-triggered avalanche incidents were reported at Utah’s Alta Ski Area on Sunday, November 1, nearly three weeks before the resort’s scheduled opening day, highlighting the dangers of early-season skiing in the Wasatch Mountains.
According to the Utah Avalanche Center’s incident reports, both avalanches occurred on northeast-facing slopes following a storm that delivered heavy, wet snow to the mountains surrounding Little Cottonwood Canyon. Neither report documents injuries or burials.
One incident occurred near a location known as Tree Jump at approximately 9,700 feet. The unintentionally triggered wet-loose avalanche was 12 inches deep and 50 feet wide, traveling approximately 200 vertical feet down a 36-degree slope.
The second report came from Eddie’s High Nowhere at approximately 10,000 feet, where two skiers reported triggering three separate wet-snow slides while descending.
Three Slides Run Over Cliff Band at Eddie’s High Nowhere
In their firsthand report to the Utah Avalanche Center, the skiers described triggering three distinct, isolated slides on a northeast-facing slope.
The report lists an avalanche depth of 16 inches and a width of 30 feet. The skiers said the snow was unusually wet, heavy and dense, with evidence of rollerballs suggesting that rain had saturated the snowpack earlier in the day.
Each slide broke beneath their skis, gathering additional snow as it descended. The moving snow traveled over a cliff band and continued down to a service road below.
The skiers described the experience as a fortunate learning opportunity and acknowledged the need for greater caution during unusual early-season conditions.
Avalanche Danger Exists Before Chairlifts Open
The incidents occurred as Alta prepares for its 89th winter season, with opening day scheduled for November 20, conditions permitting.
The Utah Avalanche Center’s November 3 forecast reported that approximately 1 to 2 feet of snow had fallen across the Wasatch Range since Halloween, with the storm initially bringing heavy, wet snow and a rain-snow line near 9,500 feet.
The agency warned that even relatively small early-season avalanches can have serious consequences, particularly when shallow snow leaves rocks, stumps and other obstacles exposed.
Alta also reminds anyone entering the mountain before its regular operating season that backcountry conditions exist, hazards are not marked and ski patrol is not available. Uphill access is subject to temporary closures for snowmaking, mountain operations and avalanche mitigation.
Anyone planning to ski or travel in avalanche terrain should check the latest Utah Avalanche Center forecast, confirm current uphill access restrictions and carry a transceiver, shovel and probe. Proper training, rescue practice and conservative terrain choices remain essential, even when the snowpack is shallow.
