Two Avalanches in Big Cottonwood and Dutch Draw Kill One, Rescue Several

Park City Mountain ski patrol and Summit County Search and Rescue responded Feb. 19 after two avalanches reported in Summit County’s Dutch Draw area and Big Cottonwood Canyon, leaving at least one person dead and multiple people rescued, agencies and local reports said. The Utah Avalanche Center had raised avalanche danger to “considerable” following the storm that preceded the incidents.

In Big Cottonwood Canyon, an avalanche in the Silver Fork east bowl near Alta killed one person and another was rescued, KSL reported. Separately, an out-of-bounds slide adjacent to Brighton Ski Resort buried a young skier who was transported to a Salt Lake City hospital and later died, according to Avalanche.org and coverage relayed by Yahoo and TownLift; TownLift identified the victim as an 11-year-old girl.

A snowmobile-triggered avalanche in Wasatch County that authorities located near Ant Knoll and Snake Creek also proved fatal. Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said an adult male was caught and buried while snowmobiling with his juvenile son; the son used an avalanche beacon to locate and dig his father out but the adult male was deceased, ParkRecord and Yahoo reported. The sheriff’s office extended “its deepest condolences to the family, friends and all those affected by this tragic incident” and said it “recognize[s] the courageous efforts of the juvenile involved and the responding personnel who assisted in this difficult situation.”

The Utah Avalanche Center warned the recent storm deposited new snow on a fragile snow surface, elevating risk across most of the Wasatch Mountains. UAC forecaster Greg Gagne said, “Friday's storm snow fell on top of a very weak snow surface in some areas, and it's one of these avalanche dangers that persists for some time,” adding, “I expected we'll be in considerable danger for probably another day or two.” TownLift quoted the UAC saying, “In just two days, we have experienced two devastating avalanche fatalities affecting parents, children, and the broader community. These are huge red flags, and we need to slow down and rethink our choices.”

Counts of recorded avalanches varied as forecasters compiled reports: ParkRecord published UAC totals of 35 avalanches on Wednesday and 27 on Thursday, AccuWeather cited at least 30 avalanches on Thursday and more than 30 on Wednesday, and KSL noted UAC recorded at least 15 new avalanches between Friday and Saturday. Nationally, AccuWeather reported that so far in 2026 there have been 16 avalanche-related deaths in the United States, underscoring regional danger.

Local responders involved in Friday and weekend operations included Park City Mountain ski patrol, Summit County Search and Rescue, Big Cottonwood Canyon ski patrols and other first responders, with multiple close calls reported on the Park City ridgeline where two people were carried but ultimately unharmed. AccuWeather’s advisory urged anyone heading into avalanche terrain to “check the latest forecast, carry proper rescue gear and avoid traveling alone.”