It's been a long, dry spell, but we know it always snows in Utah and it looks like a pattern shift is on the doorstep this morning. The good news is... snow is on the way and it's gonna bring a welcome coat of white paint to our mountains. The bad news is... the snowpack grew very weak and sugary the past few weeks and now it's strength is gonna be tested. This isn't a blockbuster storm and the snowpack isn't going to come unglued, but I do think the new snow with a little bit of wind will create fresh drifts sensitive to our additional weight. Found on steep, leeward slopes in the wind zone, it's an easy and mostly manageable avalanche problem to avoid. Simply steer clear of any fat, rounded piece of snow, particularly if it sounds hollow like a drum. And remember... our snowpack is super shallow and triggering even a small slide can take you for a body-bruising ride through rocks and stumps barely hidden under the thin snowpack.

There's a myriad of old snow surfaces... from windboard, to suncrusts, to plain old, weak surface surface snow and that'll allow for sluffing on steep, sustained slopes. Easy to manage through avoidance and not a big deal until the new snow slams you into a tree or buries you in a terrain trap like a gully. So... if you're headed out to cut a Christmas tree or for a family sleigh adventure, think about the terrain you're traveling in and avoid being on or under steep snow covered slopes.