Utah slides kill four

Four people died in Utah avalanches in a single weekend earlier this month, and authorities blame treacherous weather conditions.

On Dec. 13, rescue crews recovered the body of 59-year-old Bruce Quint beneath

8 feet of powder in Big Cottonwood Canyon outside Salt Lake City. Quint was snowshoeing two days earlier with Melvin Denis, 32, when a wall of snow collapsed, according to the Salt Lake County sheriff’s office. Denis’ body was discovered on Dec. 12 about 3 1/2 miles from where he and Quint parked.

On Dec. 10, a snow slide engulfed a skier near the Solitude ski area, about one hour east of Salt Lake City. On Dec. 11, rescuers recovered a snowmobiler buried for an hour beneath 4 feet of snow in Wasatch County, but he was dead on arrival at the hospital.

Last winter, Utah reported five avalanche deaths all season.

Utah ski resorts report heavy snowfall this season. Solitude has had 240 inches, 20% more than at this time last year. In early December, nearly 4 feet of wet snow fell atop older, ice-crusted powder, ideal conditions for avalanches, according to officials.

“People see all the fresh new snow and get excited to get outdoors, but if you don’t know how to look for avalanche risks, the backcountry can be really dangerous,” said Jay Burke at Solitude.

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Charles Duhigg