March Kicks Off Our Spring Campaign- Donate Now to Support Forecasting
Ad
The National Forest Service Logo
icon-add Observation
Forecasts
Logan Ogden Salt Lake Provo Uintas Skyline Moab Abajos Weather Archives How to read the forecast
Observations & Avalanches
Submit Observation Observations Explorer All Observations Avalanches Fatalities Weather Place Names Map Archives
Education
Avalanche Class List UAC Class List Online Classes Resources and Tutorials Avalanche Awareness Develop Skills
Events
Store
About
Contact Who we are Core Values Staff Board of Directors Past Forecasters Sponsors Annual Reports Sign In
Blog
icon-add Observation
Donate / Join

Forecast for the Ogden Area Mountains

Nikki Champion
Issued by Nikki Champion on
Tuesday morning, March 11, 2025
The avalanche danger will rise to MODERATE on all southerly facing terrain and on lower and mid elevation northerly facing terrain where we will see wet snow avalanches with daytime warming. This problem is all about timing—danger increases as the sun heats the snow.
The avalanche danger is MODERATE on all other aspects where Normal Caution for traveling in avalanche terrain is recommended. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully today.
Start early, watch for warming, and get off solar slopes before they become unstable.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
Learn how to read the forecast here
Special Announcements
We are heartbroken to confirm that 51-year-old Micheal Janulaitis of Marion, Utah, was killed in an avalanche on March 7 near Hoyt Peak. Micheal was caught and carried while skiing a steep, northeast-facing run in Hoyt Bowl. We are deeply grateful to the teams who helped bring him home. Micheal was a friend of the UAC, and his loss is felt deeply in the backcountry community. He will be greatly missed.
We are compiling accident details and a preliminary report can be found HERE.
March kicks off our Spring Campaign! If everyone in Utah’s backcountry community donates the cost of something they regularly enjoy on an adventure—like a dawn patrol burrito, a backpack snack, or post-ride trailhead drinks—we could fund not just one but two forecasters for the entire season! Donate here. Thank you!
Weather and Snow
This morning, under mostly clear skies, temperatures are in the mid-30s at trailheads and upper 20s °F at ridgelines. Many of the Ogden area trailheads weather stations didn’t drop below freezing overnight, but most ridgelines did dip below 32 °F for a few hours. Winds at mid-elevation ridgelines are southwesterly, blowing in the low double digits, with gusts near 30 MPH. At the highest ridgelines, winds are gusting near 40 MPH.
Today should be a beautiful day in the mountains, with warm temperatures and partly sunny skies. Highs will reach the upper-40s °F, with southwest winds at 15 MPH, gusting to 25 MPH at mid-elevation ridgelines. At the highest ridgelines, winds will blow 15-20 MPH, gusting to 40 MPH.
Outlook: A storm is still on track to move in from Wednesday evening into Friday, with timing now looking closer to Thursday afternoon. Snow totals have been adjusted slightly lower and could drop further if this trend continues. Expect 8-14 inches of snow, with water totals between 0.75 and 1.75 inches.
Snow Conditions: Yesterday’s warm temperatures have left a solid crust on east, south, and west-facing slopes at all elevations this morning. However, you can still find cold snow on northerly aspects at mid to upper elevations.
Recent Avalanches
In recent days, natural and skier-triggered wet-loose avalanches have occurred on southerly and westerly slopes during afternoon warming, both in the backcountry and at resorts. Some were large enough to bury a person. As well, there has been some notable cornice fall during the warm temperatures.
No new avalanches reported from the Ogden area mountains, but just to the South - Mark White remotely triggered a 3-foot-deep, 100-foot-wide hard slab avalanche on a north-facing, 40° slope at 10,000' on Red Baldy in White Pine. The slide ran on near-surface facets beneath a heavily cross-loaded slab of wind-drifted snow.
Check out all avalanches and observations HERE.
Ad
Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Normal caution is advised when traveling on steep slopes in the Ogden area. Ensure your rescue gear is ready, and only expose one person at a time to avalanche terrain.
  • Strong winds may have isolated soft and hard slabs of wind-drifted snow at upper elevations, particularly on leeward slopes. These slabs could rest on a weak snow interface. Watch for signs of wind-drifted snow, such as textured or pillow-shaped features.
  • Cornices are large in places and unstable with the warm temperatures. Give them a wide berth, as they can break farther than expected and may trigger an avalanche on the slope below.
Avalanche Problem #2
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Peak wet snow instability occurred over the past few days as cold snow warmed. The snowpack seems to be adjusting well to warm days and colder nights.
Wet avalanches are still possible today, especially in areas that didn’t see a solid refreeze. Expect activity from late morning to early afternoon on steep, south-facing slopes at all elevations, with west-facing slopes becoming active later. Low and mid-elevation, north-facing terrain may also see wet slides.
Timing is key—get off steep, sunlit slopes as they warm, as the danger will rise to MODERATE.
General Announcements
This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done. This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
Observations and Avalanches
Backcountry Emergency Procedures
SMS Notifications
Instagram
Facebook
Get Forecast Email
Previous Forecasts
Contact via email
Submit Observation
< Previous forecast