Avalanche danger prompts overnight interlodge at ski areas in Utah amid feet of snow
LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah - Avalanche danger remains high after a series of massive snowstorms continues to pound the western U.S., specifically in Utah.
This had prompted both the Alta Ski Area and Snowbird Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, to enforce interlodge overnight, which has since been lifted Thursday morning.
Both areas have received colossal amounts of snow over the past few days, measuring in feet.
When a ski resort enforces interlodge, it means that guests are required to remain indoors due to extreme weather conditions or avalanche danger while avalanche work is being done.
Highway 210 holds a Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Highway Avalanche Hazard Index of 766, which is the highest in North America, according to Snowbird.
This score indicates that the highway is very dangerous during winter storms.
Ski resorts in Utah aren’t the only areas that can experience interlodge.
California ski resorts, particularly those in the Sierra Nevada with high-elevation, avalanche-prone terrain like Palisades Tahoe and Kirkwood, do as well.
And while it can be enforced in resorts across the Northeast, it’s less common.
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Due to heavy snowfall rates on Wednesday, Alta Ski Area closed at 2:30 p.m. and Alta Alerts took to X stating, "Thank you for your patience while our teams work through this storm event that has delivered 41 inches and counting."
Snowbird Resort also closed some of its lifts at 2:30 p.m. local time, as well.
Overnight, UDOT closed State Route 210 and Alta Ski Area enforced interlodge travel restrictions, lifting them a little before 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
Snowbird Resort also enforced interlodge and lifted it in the morning, as well.
"Most Interlodge events last only a few hours and are pre-planned," Snowbird said. "Under Alta town ordinances, violating Interlodge is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail."
8 SKIERS FOUND DEAD, 1 STILL MISSING AFTER SIERRA NEVADA AVALANCHE AMID EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS
A father was killed in an avalanche in the Snake Creek area of Utah's Wasatch Mountain range, the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office said Thursday. The man was snowmobiling with his juvenile son when he was hit by the slide.
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In California, eight skiers have been found dead, with one still missing after a Sierra Nevada avalanche, marking it the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. since 1981, when the National Avalanche Center first started collecting avalanche data.
While both Alta Ski Area and Snowbird Resort are back open, the avalanche risk still remains a concern as more snow is expected to impact Utah and the rest of the West today, adding to the feet of snow already received.
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