Summit County avalanche kills snowmobiler

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A man died Friday in Summit County when an avalanche buried him.

The man was snowmobiling near Whitney Reservoir and Gold Hill Road about 6 p.m. when the avalanche hit him, according to Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds. The man's family managed to pull him out, but medical crews pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police have not released the man's name or age. Edmunds said only that he was from northern Utah.

Whitney Reservoir is located in the Uintah-Cache National Forest. According to the Utah Avalanche Center, that area had a considerable risk for avalanches at high elevations Friday and a moderate risk below the tree line. The Forest Service also warns that weather in the area "can change rapidly and can go from a reasonably warm summer day to winter-like conditions in a matter of hours."

The area where the man died is a popular place to snowmobile, Edmunds said. The area remains open, though Edmunds advised would-be visitors to be cautious.

jdalrymple@sltrib.com

Twitter: @jimmycdii