Utah landslides and avalanches
Every recorded landslide or avalanche record since 1996 · 29 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 191 landslide and avalanche records in Utah from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 7.0 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the February 6, 2021 avalanche in Juab County and 4 more: 4 deaths and 1 injury. Utah ranks 5th of 37 states and territories by count and 6th of 37 per square mile.
Landslides and avalanches in Utah, 1996 to 2026
Landslide records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 1911996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 7.0average
- Deaths
- 8151 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $17Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 202122 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are landslide and avalanche records common in Utah?
Utah averages about 7.0 landslide and avalanche records a year since 2000, 5th of 37 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2021 (22). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Utah records 23 landslide and avalanche records since 1996, 6th of 37 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Utah have the most landslide and avalanche records?
Per square mile, Salt Lake County leads Utah: 52 days with a landslide or avalanche record since 1996, 69.1 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Utah County has the most landslide records (68 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the slide season in Utah?
Utah's landslide and avalanche records by month. The busiest month is July (31 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 27 · Feb 30 · Mar 20 · Apr 12 · May 4 · Jun 3 · Jul 31 · Aug 29 · Sep 10 · Oct 4 · Nov 4 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest landslide and avalanche records in Utah?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-06 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 The Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center reported that two groups, totaling eight people, were backcountry skiing at Wilson Glade in Millcreek Canyon, when an avalanche was triggered. The avalanche caught and buried six of the people, leading to four fatalities, while two survived, one with injuries. The avalanche ... | 4 | 1 | – | |
| 2004-12-10 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone W Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete One storm episode: 4 records, 2004-12-10 to 2004-12-11; the totals are the episode's. Several days of heavy wet snow combined with strong winds to produce extreme avalanche conditions in the Wasatch Mountains. 4 people lost their lives in avalanches during this two day period. One skier was killed when an avalanche he triggered in the Wasatch backcountry buried him in 2 to 3 feet of snow. A snowmobiler ... | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-02-17 | AvalancheCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places, 2007-02-17 to 2007-02-18; the totals are the episode's. An unstable snowpack resulted in an increased number of avalanches across the region. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-12-26 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone W Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete Three snowboarders were killed as a large avalanche swept down the mountain near the Aspen Grove area around Sundance. There were a total of 14 people in the path of the avalanche, but the rest of the skiers and snowboarders were only partially buried and managed to dig themselves out unscathed. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-21 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 One storm episode: 2 records, 2026-02-21 to 2026-02-22; the totals are the episode's. Following a strong mid-month winter storm which produced substantial mountain snow accumulations, many avalanches were reported across Utah's mountains due to snowpack conditions. | 2 | 3 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. A strong and moist trough pushed inland during the middle portion of February, leading to several days of impactful weather. Strong southwesterly flow on the leading edge of the trough resulted in many instances of strong winds and gusts, and moisture was sufficient to begin producing mountain snow more or less ... | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2013-01-18 | AvalancheDuchesne County and 2 more · forecast zone Western Uinta Mountains A family was out for a day of snowmobiling in the Uinta Mountains, when they decided to take a break for lunch in a wide open basin on the West Fork of the Duchesne River. The kids walked to a edge of a ridge to see over the side when the ledge gave way, catching three of the children in an avalanche, and burying two ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2024-05-09 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 A group of three backcountry skiers set out early in the morning to ski in the Big Willow Aprons area near Lone Peak. After skiing for several hours without issue, an unintentionally triggered soft slab avalanche occurred on the north aspect of the slope (approximately 40 degree angle) around 10,600 feet elevation. ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2014-02-08 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places, 2014-02-08 to 2014-02-09; the totals are the episode's. A series of moist weather disturbances moved across Utah during the second week of February, bringing an extended period of snowfall to northern Utah. In addition to the new snow, two avalanche fatalities occurred during this period of time. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-12-24 | AvalancheCache County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains I-80 North On Christmas Eve morning, the first clear day after several consecutive days under stormy weather conditions, four experienced snowmobilers ventured out into a common snowmobiling area at Logan Peak. They were riding near the summit of the east face of Logan Peak at the head of Providence Canyon, in an area known by ... | 2 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest landslide and avalanche records in Utah
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-10-08 | Debris FlowBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains | 0 | 0 | $16M | |
| 2013-09-07 | Debris FlowAlpine, Utah County | 0 | 0 | $253K | |
| 1998-03-14 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone W Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete | 0 | 5 | $91K | |
| 2023-04-13 | Debris FlowSugar House, Salt Lake County | 0 | 1 | $48K | |
| 2023-04-08 | Debris FlowFruit Hgts, Davis County | 0 | 2 | $48K | |
| 2023-03-28 | AvalancheCache County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains I-80 North | 0 | 2 | $19K | |
| 2025-03-18 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2023-01-10 | AvalancheJuab County and 3 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 0 | 1 | $3K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are landslide and avalanche records becoming more frequent in Utah?
Utah's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Utah | United States | Utah's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 5 | 98 | 5.1% |
| 2000s | 47 | 790 | 5.9% |
| 2010s | 61 | 1,304 | 4.7% |
| 2020-26 | 78 | 1,224 | 6.4% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent landslide and avalanche records in Utah
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-22 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2026-02-21 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-04-01 | Debris FlowMill Fork, Utah County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-03-18 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2025-03-07 | AvalancheDuchesne County and 2 more · forecast zone Western Uinta Mountains | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-08 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-02-03 | AvalancheBox Elder County and 7 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains I-80 North | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-23 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2024-12-31 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-12-28 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for landslide and avalanche records in Utah
FEMA has declared 3 disasters in Utah for landslide and avalanche, counting its incident type and declarations that name landslide or mudslide in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 3 were major disasters, the latest on August 1, 2005.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-08-01 | DR-1598 | Flooding and Landslides | 9 |
| 1984-08-17 | DR-720 | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding | 12 |
| 1983-04-30 | DR-680 | Severe Storms, Landslides & Flooding | 22 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Salt Lake County: the county's whole recordThe Utah county with the most landslide and avalanche records per square mile
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