Utah Avalanche Map

This is a map of some of the reported avalanches in Utah. It has been said that:

The same avalanche accidents happen in the same place again and again. The only thing that changes is the names of the victims.

It is not possible to accurately predict exactly where and when the next avalanche will occur, but by studying the locations where avalanches have happened in the past you can inform your judgement of where an avalanche might occur in the future.

WARNING This map shows ONLY SOME OF the avalanches that have occurred. If the map does not show an avalanche in a certain place, that does NOT mean that avalanches do not occur in that place. You should use this map ONLY to learn about the kinds of places where avalanches are known to occur.

In particular, the map currently does not even attempt to report any information outside the tri-canyon (Mill Creek, Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood) area between Salt Lake City and Park City.

Almost all the avalanche information shown on the map is derived from reports by the Utah Avalanche Center. Any errors on the map are likely to be mine.

If you want to read the technical details of how this is done, click here.

How to see the map

There are two ways to look at the map:

  1. The easy way: just click here. Markers show reported avalanches. Use the controls in the top left corner of the map to move around and zoom in and out. Click on a marker for details.
  2. With the Google Earth 3D viewer program. Google Earth is a program that must be installed on your computer. It gives a three-dimensional view of the earth's surface. This lets you see topography, which is an important factor in avalanches. To view the avalanche map with Google Earth, do the following:
    1. If Google Earth is not installed on your computer, go to the Google Earth download page and follow the instructions there to download and install Google Earth. If it is already installed, check the version (in the upper menu bar, Help > About). This map uses some features new in Google Earth version 4, so if you have an earlier version, you need to upgrade.
    2. When the Google Earth program is installed on your computer, start that program.
    3. Screen grab of Google Earth navigation sidebar You will need to use the sidebar on the left side of the Google Earth window. It looks like this.
      If the sidebar is not visible, click the Show Sidebar symbol to show the sidebar.
      Screen grab of Google Earth navigation sidebar
    4. Screen grab of Google Earth navigation sidebar In the Places section of the sidebar, click once on My Places to highlight it.
    5. In the upper menu bar, select Add>Network Link... Screen grab of Google Earth navigation sidebar This window will open: Screen grab of Google Earth navigation sidebar
    6. In the box labeled Name: enter 
      Utah Avalanche Map
      In the box labeled Link: enter 
      http://www.thewebsitedoctor.net/avalanche/UtahAvalancheMap.kmz
      Click OK
    7. Screen grab of Google Earth navigation sidebar You should see a new folder under My Places with a green dot and the name Utah Avalanche Map (if the dot is red, that means that the link was not added successfully). If you double click on the Utah Avalanche Map folder, it will open and show you the map. You can now explore the area using the usual Google Earth controls.
    8. If you want, you can save the link to the map by choosing File > Save > Save My Places from the top menu. A saved link will be there next time you start Google Earth, and it will access the most recent version of the map. Screen grab of Google Earth navigation sidebar If you change your mind later, you can delete the link by highlighting the Utah Avalanche Link folder in the My Places folder and then selecting Edit > Delete from the top menu.

Last modified: Wednesday, May 30 2007 at 8:08:00 PM MDT