Look: Crazy Video Of Mammoth Utah Avalanche Last Weekend

Utah has seen several avalanches during the 2024-2025 Winter season with one resulting in a death.  

Over the weekend, a Utah highway was shut down near Cottonwood Canyons leaving several people stranded while officials worked to mitigate the avalanche, Weather.com said.  

This was a “controlled” slide reports said to help prevent future landslides and avalanches in Salt Lake County.  

With Utah being a state that loves skiing and having some of the best snow around, it's imperative that avalanches are prevented in any way possible.  

Here are some signs that an avalanche could occur: 

• Cracks form around skis and feet in the snow. 

• Hollow ground. 

• “Whumping” sound as you step.  

• Heavy snow or rainfall in the last day.  

• Rapidly increasing temperatures. 

• Surface patterns on snow indicating transported snow.  

According to the National Weather Service, avalanches kill over 150 people per year around the world. 90 percent of avalanches are triggered by the victims or someone with them.  

There are also plenty of signs, as mentioned above, to look out for to avoid triggering an avalanche.  

If there has been heavy snowfall, it’s best to avoid Utah’s skiing locations until officials say it is safe to go out. The National Weather Service along with local weather stations will provide updates and avalanche warnings.  

Though the most recent avalanche was controlled, there is always the chance that other areas could become the location of an avalanche. This mitigation was only done in Little Cottonwood Canyon and no other areas.  

Stay safe and look for signs of an avalanche when out skiing.