UPDATE: Two skiers killed, one rescued in Utah avalanche

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Updated May 10: Andrew Cameron, 23, of Utah, and Austin Mallet, 32, of Montana, have been identified as victims of the May 9 avalanche at Lone Peak in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. The third person, whose identity has not yet been released, was rescued by search and rescue teams and a helicopter. He was taken to a nearby hospital and discharged the same day. Read more here.

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May 9th: Officials have confirmed that two people died in the May 9 avalanche near Lone Peak in Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon. A third person was transported off the mountain and taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Recovery efforts have been suspended for today and will resume tomorrow.

The north-facing region of Lone Peak where the avalanche occurred is known for its steep and unforgiving terrain, which poses a higher risk of avalanche activity. More than 2 feet of new snow fell in the region this week, bringing the season total in nearby Snowbird to just over 600 inches. The National Weather Service predicted strong winds with gusts over 60 mph throughout Thursday.

The Utah Avalanche Center stopped issuing regular alerts in mid-April and switched to irregular activity reports. On May 1, the UAC released its final product of the season for the Salt Lake Area mountains, reminding skiers of the three different avalanche problems that typically occur in the spring: wet snow, fresh snow instability and windblown snow.

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Greg Gagne, a forecaster for the Utah Avalanche Center for eight years, highlighted the challenges of forecasting in the spring and encouraged individuals to self-monitor the changing conditions. “It’s really difficult to get an accurate report this time of year,” Gagne said. “What you say at 7 a.m. might be wrong at 7:30 a.m. In spring, warm and cold air mix in the atmosphere. It’s so volatile.”

Gagne pointed to recent weather fluctuations that illustrate the unpredictability of spring conditions. “On Saturday we had warm, sunny temperatures and on Sunday it started snowing,” he said. “Last week felt more like January than May.”

He emphasized the increased avalanche danger in the high alpine areas of the central Wasatch, particularly in steep, unforgiving terrain. Despite increased danger at the start of winter, the overall danger has returned to typical levels over the past 6-8 weeks. Although avalanche accidents were reported throughout the season, including several requiring rescue, there were no fatal avalanche accidents in Utah as of May 1.

This story is ongoing and will be updated as new information becomes available.