Large avalanches may still be sensitive to human triggering. Hazard may be improving but keep in mind that potential size and consequences of avalanches remain high. Deep instabilities like this are difficult to assess from the surface, so let terrain selection be your solution.
A bit of new snow and wind out of both the southwest and northwest on Thursday and Friday is likely to form fresh wind slabs in lee terrain features in the alpine.
All of the old storm snow is slowly settling into a slab which rests on weak surface hoar 100 to 160 cm below the surface. Natural avalanche activity has waned, but human triggering may still be possible, especially in more challenging/complex terrain. This isn't the kind of avalanche problem you can feel under your skis, track or feet, it's far too deep for that. The answer lies in terrain selection.
Friday night: Cloudy, alpine low -15 C, alpine wind moderate northwest.
Saturday: Scattered cloud with isolated flurries, alpine high -9 C, alpine wind moderate northwest, trace of snow possible in the evening.
Sunday: Scattered cloud, alpine high -7 C, alpine wind light northeast.
Monday: Scattered cloud, alpine high -7 C, alpine wind light northwest.
A bigger storm is on the horizon as we enter the New Year.
The spectacularly large and destructive natural avalanche activity observed during the previous storm cycle has largely tapered. But as recently as Thursday, natural size 2.5 persistent slab avalanches were still being reported in large alpine terrain features on both north and south aspects, in neighboring Glacier National Park.
Moderate winds over the last couple of days are likely to have blown around some of the 60 to 100 cm from last weekend's big storm, forming soft windslab in alpine lees. Anywhere from 100 to 160 cm of snow is now resting on a widespread layer of large, feathery, surface hoar which we're calling the "December 11th Surface Hoar." This layer was the culprit for the very large and destructive natural avalanche cycle during and after last weekend's big storm. Activity on this interface has largely tapered off, there remains some uncertainty as to how quickly the snowpack is gaining strength.
A combination of surface hoar, crust & facets formed in late November is now over 170 cm deep. This layer is likely trending toward dormancy.
