The unpredictable, multiple layers of buried faceted snow are a serious problem – they were the weak layer of at least 5 human triggered slides in northern Utah over the weekend - two yesterday and 3 on Saturday - and are the likely culprit of the two weekend fatalities in the west.

Slides in Utah are averaging 2 to 3 feet deep, and over 100 feet wide. The layers of weak, sugary facets they are failing on are notoriously tricky, and the snowpack’s response to the weight of a person is erratic and variable. But the location of the slides are not random – the have been triggered on steep, shady slopes facing northwest through easterly, at the mid and upper elevations, and avoiding those slopes is the best way to avoid triggering an avalanche in the backcountry. Avalanches can still be triggered remotely and from below.

With the weekend refill of perfect powder, lower angle slopes of all aspects once again have excellent riding and turning conditions.

There are enormous amounts of snow available for transport, and even wind speeds as low as 15 mph quickly move low density snow into drifts. Along both the Salt Lake and Park City area ridge lines, snow will be moving today and forming soft drifts. These can be triggered on steep slopes, and will be most widespread on north through easterly facing slopes. The drifts should be mostly confined to right along the ridge lines, but look for drifts anywhere you find the wind blowing.

Fast moving sluffs can be triggered on steep slopes of all aspects, far running where they are on slick underlying sun and wind crusts, entraining all the storm snow in the path below. They tend to break below a person,