Avalanche chaos causes Cottonwood Canyon closures, strands thousands

Little Cottonwood Canyon is expected to remain closed to traffic until Thursday morning at the earliest. Alta and Snowbird visitors and staffers have been stuck since Sunday, during one of the longest interlodges on record.

(Utah Department of Transportation) This aerial photo shows an avalanche slide in the White Pines area of Little Cottonwood Canyon on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. The highway has been closed since Sunday night due to high and unpredictable avalanche danger and deep snow.