A persistent weak layer (PWL) of faceted snow exists in the bottom foot of the snowpack on most slopes except ones facing south. Snow from yesterday's storm (7-12"), Tuesday's winds, and last Thursday's storm (8-17") has built a slab on top of that weak faceted snow. Trent explains this setup in a video from Tuesday. This PWL is widespread and easy to find on any slope on the northern half of the compass, but it can be found in pockets on SW and SE facing slopes as well.

We know this snowpack structure is unstable because of avalanche activity that occurred prior to Tuedays's storm and reports of collapsing and cracking yesterday. A good example can be seen in the photo below where the snowpack was collapsing and cracking as a skier in Cardiff Fork descended a low angle slope (photo below). Had they been on a steeper slope, they would have triggered an avalanche. Additionally, the remotely triggered avalanche reported in Dry Fork yesterday is another red flag because that means a person triggered it by simply walking near a slope without getting on it.

Very strong winds blew Tuesday afternoon and evening (80 mph gusts at 11,000 ft). In many places yesterday, winds calmed and the new snow made it hard to see evidence of these winds. In other places like the Park City ridgeline, winds continued transporting snow yesterday. This morning's uptick in northerly winds should keep transporting snow.

Freshly formed slabs of wind drifted snow should still be able to produce an avalanche today. They will also add weight and stress to a buried PWL (see discussion above) and cause avalanches to break wider and farther because winds are very good at forming stiff, cohesive slabs of snow.