The days of persistent northerly winds have done the most damage in the high alpine terrain. Slopes are wind stripped and wind loaded, and drifts can be found on almost any aspect - to the lee of ridge lines and cross-loaded into couloirs, gullies and mid slope break overs. The hard slabs of wind drifted snow may be stubborn, and the key is to identify and avoid any of the rounded, smooth or scalloped drifts on steep slopes, especially in unforgiving terrain, such as above cliffs and trees.

It is not a simple snowpack, and there is lots of variation. The almost daily deep, upper elevation, explosive triggered slides mean there remains a low-probability of triggering a high-consequence avalanche breaking 2 to 5 feet deep on a sugary faceted weak layer. The most likely spot would be on an upper elevation, northwest through southeasterly facing slope, that is wind loaded over a rocky area with a shallower snowpack. Unsupported slopes above cliffs, steep rollovers, or very steep slopes are also more suspect. You may trigger one of these hard slabs when entering on the edges, where the snowpack is thinner.

In addition, the shallower mid elevation terrain, especially outside the upper Cottonwoods, has its own mid pack weakness and basal facets, like the recent slides on easterly facing slopes at 9,000’ on the Park City side show. This includes Snake Creek, upper American Fork, Grandview/Bountiful Sessions and Millcreek Canyon.

Photo below of Friday's large avalanche triggered in Homelight with just a single hand charge surface shot, prodding out a 3-5' deep and 500' wide deep slab on this east facing run at 9000'. Photo courtesy of PCMR snow safety.