East Slopes Central

A small slab of new and recent snow exists at the surface. Be suspicious of triggering an avalanche on very steep slopes, convexities, or in wind-affected areas. You can assess the snowpack for instability with hand pits and test slopes before jumping onto slopes steeper than 30 degrees.

Reports are varied on how cohesive surface slabs are as well as the depth and sensitivity of crusts and weak buried faceted grains. So while we aren't seeing notable avalanches in the East Central zone at the moment, be aware that when enough new snow falls - which may be as soon as Saturday night - there is the potential for quickly elevated avalanche hazard. The nearby East South zone received more snow recently and has begun to see this increase already. Observers found touchy conditions and triggered avalanches on a layer of buried surface hoar roughly 1 foot deep.

In areas that have seen previous wind loading, an unstable slab will behave similarly to a wind slab avalanche. If you encounter hard snow surfaces, rapid changes in snow depth, and cornices, presume that deeper slabs of recently wind-drifted snow can be found just below ridgelines and in cross-loaded gullies. You will encounter the same signs: cracking, collapsing, and recent avalanches.

In some areas, the surface slab lacks cohesion altogether and you can trigger small sluffs of loose dry snow. Although generally inconsequential, a small sluff of snow could knock you over and carry you over hazards such as rocks and cliffs. Manage your sluff by managing your terrain choices as you move through the backcountry.

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