Recent strong wind has formed wind slabs. Don't discount the multiple buried weak layers in the snowpack.
Recent strong westerly wind has formed wind slabs in exposed terrain features. Use particular caution near ridges, where wind slabs may be touchy to human traffic.
Several persistent weak layers are buried in the snowpack. Although these layers become harder to trigger as they get deeper, the destructive potential of a triggered avalanche increases. These layers could be triggered by humans where the snowpack is relatively thin or a wind slab avalanche could step down to them.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy with isolated flurries, local amounts 2 to 5 cm, moderate northwest wind, alpine temperature -10 C, freezing level below valley bottom.
MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud with afternoon snowfall, accumulation 2 to 10 cm, light to moderate west wind, alpine temperature -8 C, freezing level 500 m.
TUESDAY: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 15 to 25 cm, moderate to strong southwest wind, alpine temperature -3 C, freezing level 1100 m.
WEDNESDAY: Morning snowfall and afternoon clearing, accumulation 10 to 15 cm, light northwest wind, alpine temperature -6 C, freezing level 1000 m.
Numerous small to large storm and wind slab avalanches were triggered naturally, by humans, and by explosives on Saturday. They were generally on northwest to northeast aspects and at treeline and alpine elevations. The slabs were most commonly 10 to 20 cm thick.
Around 40 to 60 cm of recent storm snow has been redistributed by strong westerly wind, forming wind slabs in lee terrain features. The slabs may overly a thin layer of ice formed early January.
There are multiple weak layers buried in the snowpack. A weak layer of feathery surface hoar is buried around 30 to 50 cm. Around 80 to 120 cm deep, two more surface hoar layers may be found. Near the bottom of the snowpack, weak faceted snow may be found. This fundamentally unstable snowpack structure remains a concern, as it is capable of producing large and destructive avalanches. It is possible that wind slab avalanches could step down to these deeper layers or the layers could be triggered in areas where the snowpack is relatively thin.
