Skier dies in avalanche in Utah backcountry

A skier has died after becoming trapped in an avalanche in a Utah backcountry area that the public was warned to avoid after potent snowstorms, authorities said.

The death marks the ninth avalanche fatality in the U.S. West this season, and experts say the risk of additional slides could remain high all winter.

Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal said the victim was skiing with two other people when the avalanche occurred Saturday morning near Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Salt Lake City. The victim’s name wasn’t immediately released.

Bruce Tremper of the Utah Avalanche Center said the group was in an area that the public was warned to stay away from after last week’s snowstorms.

Experts said a weak base layer of snow, packed with large grains of ice, was plaguing parts of Utah, Colorado, Montana and California. They said these conditions could keep avalanche risks high for the rest of the season.