 When you look across Wyoming's landscapes on a snowy winter day, you're likely to see numerous snow drifts. Snow drifts, like sand dunes, are made when the wind moves light snow and deposits it when and where the wind is slowed. Typically, this is against a stationary object, such as a building, shrub, fence, or even another pile of snow. Snow crests and slopes off toward the ground on the leeward side of that object. On the windward side, snow is generally lower and flatter. Snow drifts have their greatest impact on travelers. The roadbed and furrows along the road are the stationary objects in this case. They serve as a place where wind can slow and deposit snow, hence the need for snow fences. The Wyoming Department of Transportation spends millions of dollars each year in plowing, drifting snow, and maintaining snow fences along the windiest stretches of highway. With the abundance of wind, snow drifts are a common yet sometimes troublesome sight across this great state. I'm Rachel Miller with the University of Wyoming Extension, exploring the nature of Wyoming.