Most of the avalanches in the Salt Lake and Park City area mountains yesterday were failing on the uppermost layer of facets in the snowpack, and were 1 ½ to 2 feet deep, 100 to 1000’ wide, running all the way down to the flats. A few broke into the deeper weak layers, in shallow, rocky areas. There was significant activity at the upper elevations and the mid elevations below 9500’. Avalanches were triggered remotely from above, but can also be triggered from below and from the side.

It’s just plain dangerous out there - slopes that have not avalanched are hanging in balance, just waiting for a trigger. Many of yesterday’s avalanches broke well off ridgelines, meaning you can get out on to a slope, and have the slide break above you. Any slide you trigger on a steep slope today will be large enough to bury and kill you.

A note for the future: most of these avalanches are unfortunately leaving the deeper layers of large facets intact.

Wind was a key player yesterday – many avalanches occurred where wind had drifted snow onto the slope, providing the extra weight needed to tip the balance.

This morning, the west to northwesterly wind is strong at the upper elevations, and forecast to increase at the mid elevations later this afternoon and overnight. Avoid all steep, wind drifted slopes and travel beneath them.