The wind is changing the landscape and avalanche danger today. Even before the storm and new snow arrives, the winds will be drifting old snow, and these small drifts will be crossloaded onto a variety of aspects and elevations. Key points:

• The most dangerous drifts will be those on northwest through southeasterly facing slopes, where they are landing on old weak, faceted snow.
• The drifts are both along the ridges and well off the ridgelines, mid slope.
• You will be able to trigger these shallow drifts from a distance, or worse, from below.
• Avoid travel on and below steep wind drifted slopes - cracking, collapsing or harder, dense snow are signs of a wind drift.
• Danger will increase late today and overnight as the storm arrives and we receive snow.
• Out of the wind-affected terrain, you may be able to trigger loose snow sluffs this evening or tonight in the new snow.
• Due to lack of snow, being caught and carried by even a small avalanche could be very dangerous, as you will be dragged through shallowly buried rocks or downed trees.

After 3 weeks of high pressure, very weak faceted snow exists across the northern Utah mountains, wherever there was snow on the ground before this storm. The snowpack on the shady slopes consists of weak crusts and sugary faceted snow. Once we get some weight on these weak layers, dangerous avalanches could be triggered. We are watching this storm carefully to see if we over load these layers this evening or tonight. Right now, the storm is looking too small.