Яндекс.Метрика
2026-02-28

Avalanche Victim from Butler Basin, Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT, Dies in Hospital







Utah has suffered its fourth avalanche death of the season after an avalanche victim from last weekend succumbed to his injuries in hospital. All four of Utah’s avalanche deaths occurred in a short window from February 18 to February 22. The most recent death follows an avalanche from Saturday, February 21, which was triggered in Butler Basin in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The avalanche buried two riders, and sadly, one was confirmed to have died in hospital on Thursday, February 26.



Related: Father Killed in Utah Avalanche While Snowmobiling with Son, Marking Season’s First Avalanche Fatality



Last Saturday, two riders were climbing Butler Basin, at 9,300 feet of elevation on a northerly aspect, when they triggered an avalanche and got caught and carried. Luckily, another group was nearby and witnessed the avalanche, immediately jumping into action, locating, and recovering the buried riders. Both riders were injured in the slide. A 48-year-old man sustained a leg injury, while a 57-year-old man was taken to hospital by helicopter in critical condition.



Tragically, the 57-year-old man passed away in the hospital due to his injuries, as confirmed on Thursday by Salt Lake City Sheriff’s spokesperson Chris Bronson. 

The Butler Basin avalanche followed a major snowstorm in the west, bringing up to 45 inches of snowfall and covering what was largely dirt, rocks, and a historically low snowpack. The morning of February 21, the UAC put out an avalanche report stating there was considerable danger in northerly aspects, warning of slab avalanches above a 30° slope angle. 



Related: Search Suspended for Snowbiker Missing Following Avalanche in Snake Creek Area, UT



Following the incident, the UAC published a report which gave some background on the avalanche. This Butler Basin slide was a soft slab avalanche, with 2 feet of depth, 250 feet of width, and ran 100 vertical feet. The number one forecasted problem was a persistent weak layer. The 2-4 feet of new storm snow sat atop a weak faceted layer that had sat for 31 days since the last storm and was getting progressively weaker.



Not only Utah, but the western U.S., British Columbia, and the European Alps have had a recent bout of extreme snowfall after a long period of very little snow, creating greatly elevated avalanche danger, and tragically causing many deaths. Each accident is a sobering reminder of the dangers of the mountains, to be conscious of the avalanche problems, and to always enact avalanche-safe practices when in the backcountry. 

As of February 27, the UAC is reporting considerable avalanche danger on northerly and easterly aspects in mid to upper elevations, with moderate danger on all other aspects and at all other elevations. The top forecasted problem remains as the persistent weak layer, which has caused four avalanche deaths and more than 60 reported avalanches since the February 18 storm. The other reported problems include wind slabs at upper elevations on easterly aspects, as well as wet slabs resulting from the recent warming and snow/rain event. The UAC says to not be fooled by stable ECT tests or tracks already through terrain. The snowpack has strengthened in this warming event, which makes collapsing in a test harder to achieve, but it has simultaneously led to wider running avalanches that connect through terrain features further around a slope. Caution, discipline, and patience are urged by the UAC during this time of instability.

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