There is plenty of weak sugary faceted snow (persistent weak layer) scattered on almost all aspects and elevations throughout the Wasatch Range. This persistent weak layer has now been buried under wind-drifted snow in upper-elevation terrain and capped by storm snow in the lower-elevation wind-protected areas.

In areas where the wind has loaded the slope, the slab could be anywhere from 1-4' feet deep and hard as a rock. We have dangerous avalanche conditions, and you can still trigger a season-ending slab avalanche failing on a persistent weak layer.

Out of the wind zone, at mid and low-elevation bands we have been seeing a lot of recent avalanche activity, including two avalanche accidents within the last two days. Both of these avalanches occurred under 8000'. This is a huge heads-up that these zones are equally, if not more, dangerous as the upper elevation bands. With all of the new snow, a sensitive soft slab avalanche could fail on top of the weak facets up to 4' deep. There is great skiing to be had on low-angle slopes and I will be staying away from steep northwest-north-east-facing slopes at all elevations.

Avalanches are slightly less likely on solar aspects because of the presence of ice crusts. There is a MODERATE avalanche danger on west-south-southeast aspects. Keep an eye out for higher-elevation south-facing areas that may have weak faceted snow under a stiffer slab of new or wind-drifted snow.

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Since yesterday, the northwest winds have increased drastically at 11,000' and have likely been transporting snow at the upper elevations. For the snowpack, when the winds drift snow, it's the same as if snow is falling out of the sky. The snowpack doesn't care where the snow comes from, it feels the added weight. So, on northerly-facing slopes, these winds have added snow and weight, and stress to the avalanche problem listed above. Any wind slab avalanche that you trigger has the potential to step down into deeper weak layers in the snowpack.