Park City’s snowpack fell to less than 50% of average in December, hitting a 30-year record low this year. But several storms moving through Christmas through Monday are expected to help boost the ski season here, with an estimated accumulation of 22 to 30 inches.

OpenSnow forecaster Evan Thayer warned that warmer temperatures and wind could make the five-day buffeting more suitable for building that thin base than for riding, but hey, that’s something.

Higher in the mountains, there could be up to 3 feet of new snow total, according to the Salt Lake City National Weather Service.

“We’re looking at an extended period of storms here,” said Mike Wessler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “We will see humidity and wind. Most of the wind will be from the west, with gusts along the ridgelines potentially 50-60 mph. Hidden Peak and Baldy are recording even higher speeds, enough to move some snow.”

The combination of historically low snowpack and the current blizzard and strong winds has left avalanche forecasters confused. On Tuesday, a snowmobiler in the Logan area was caught and buried by an avalanche, and that was before the first storm of the series turned Christmas Day white. According to the Utah Avalanche Center, he was completely buried but recovered without injuries after being quickly located and rescued by his brother using an avalanche transceiver.

Trent Meisenheimer, a meteorologist with the Avalanche Center, said in a video Wednesday that the snowpack is currently extremely unstable.

“There is no doubt that there is hardly any snow in Utah. “We have a very dangerous snowpack,” he said. “We are facing a very dangerous winter in Utah. Our snowpack is completely diverse, statewide. This snow is loose, it doesn’t bind. As we pile snow on top with the storm this weekend, that weak snow will give way.”

As the snowfall continues, meteorologists expect the avalanche danger to increase to high danger levels.

“Heavy snow and strong wind drifts will increase the avalanche danger in the backcountry over the next few days,” the avalanche center predicted Friday morning. “Very dangerous conditions and HIGH avalanche danger are expected to develop in many areas.”

The center warned that new snow falling on these fragile layers will overload the weak layer below and increase the risk of slipping. The weather will continue to intensify dangerous conditions, with the storm expected to strengthen over the weekend.

Meisenheimer said northern Utah will become very dangerous as the storms progress.

“This is not the year to be in avalanche zone, and that means every slope is steeper than 30 degrees. We don’t want to be adjacent to, below or on steeper terrain,” Meisenheimer said. “Whether you’re sledding, snowboarding or throwing snowballs, northern Utah will continue to be dangerous for some time.”

Related stories