Avalanche warning issued for northern Utah mountains and foothills
The Utah Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning Sunday for much of northern Utah due to warming weather melting the snowpack. There is considerable to high risk for the mountains of northern Utah, as well as the foothills of the Wasatch Front and the Tooele, Cache and Ogden Valleys.
The center said people should avoid being on or underneath slopes steeper than 30 degrees and to stay cognizant while skiing and on mountain trails.
The warning is likely to last through the middle of the week. Travelers should also expect intermittent closures of both Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood Canyons throughout the week for avalanche control work.
Natural gas leak strands campers in Grand County
Campers are stranded after a wellhead burst in Grand County on Friday, releasing thousands of pounds of natural gas. An equipment malfunction caused natural gas to leak out of a well for days near the White Wash Sand Dunes.
The sheriff’s office evacuated a two-mile radius around the well and shut down the main road, leaving the only way out as a long route that requires an ATV or four-wheel drive.
Many campers can’t make that trip, so they’re stuck for the time being, though the sheriff said they’re at least out of the radius of concern.
The Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining and a specialized team from Texas both came on-site to try and control the leak. Rose Petroleum said on Sunday they believe the well can be under control late Monday, though they added that the efforts could take longer.
