Avalanche risk high through the weekend and..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Forecasters are warning of dangerous avalanche conditions that will exist through the weekend and beyond in the Western Uinta and Manti Skyline mountain areas.

The Utah Avalanche Center said those mountains have a weak underlying snowpack with a recent new slab of snow on top. High winds over the past few days have made the danger even more likely, the center said in a statement.

Some large, human-caused avalanches have already occurred and forecasters are worried about snowmobilers and other outdoor adventurers triggering more.

The Western Uintas are located in northwest Utah just south of the Wyoming border. The Manti Skyline lies within the Manti-La Sal National Forest just east of Manti and Ephraim.

On Saturday, moderate avalanche danger is expected for mountains in the Ogden, Provo, Logan and Salt Lake areas. There is also some concern about weak snowpack in the upper Cottonwood canyons, although the danger in that area is not as pronounced.

Backcountry travelers can check the latest avalanche conditions at utahavalanchecenter.org or by calling 888-999-4019.

kbennion@sltrib.com

Twitter: @KimballBennion

Avalanche risk high through the weekend and beyond