Lingering slabs of wind-drifted snow along the higher elevations may step down 2 to 3+ feet into the Christmas Eve rain crust (CERC), and could also step deeper into older facets near the ground, with avalanches exceeding 5+ feet possible. Regardless of whether these avalanches step down more deeply, they remain large and dangerous.

Trent and Brooke investigated the First Cornice avalanche yesterday, which is on the Wasatch Back near the Provo area. Below, they describe a major close call involving a large, tree-snappling avalanche of wind-drifted snow.

As travel has been difficult in the Provo area mountains, we don't have much information on current conditions. Still, based upon the weather history and adjacent snowpack information in the Central Wasatch, we feel that poor snowpack structure exists primarily along the upper elevation shady terrain for avalanches to rip to the ground. These would be low probability avalanches but deadly nonetheless. Some were triggered by explosives yesterday in Little Cottonwood and one likely triggered from a cornice in Big Cottonwood two days ago.

The new low density snow will run as sluffs on all aspects at the mid and upper elevations today. These should only pose a problem in unforgiving terrain, if you're tripped up and carried through trees, or if you are in a terrain trap where the snow can pile up deeply. The new snow may bond poorly to the old snow surfaces, making them particularly sensitive.