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Avalanche — Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80, Utah

January 28, 2012 · NOAA Storm Events record

Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
0
Property damage
—
Area
Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80

Event narrative (NOAA)

Three men, a skier and two split-boarders, went up Big Cottonwood Canyon on the morning of January 28th. They eventually reached Kessler Peak, and began to descend the west face, with one of the split-boarders in the lead. The man in the lead triggered a hard slab avalanche, which averaged 3 feet deep and nearly 1,000 feet wide. The avalanche ran 2,500 feet vertically. The man was buried in the avalanche, and the other two friends, who were above the avalanche path, began attempts to locate him. They eventually found him and dug him out, but he died on the scene.

Other notable avalanche events in Utah

Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 · February 6, 20214 killedW Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete · December 26, 20033 killedSanpete/Sevier Valleys · January 2, 19992 killedW Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete · January 11, 20002 killedWestern Unita Mountains · March 10, 20012 killedP Nc Weber/P C Morgan/P W C Summit/P Sc Wasatch · April 28, 20012 killed

Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.

Avalanche — Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80, Utah, January 28, 2012 | DisasterAtlasUSA