Below 4,000 feet, the snowpack is rapidly disappearing. Between roughly 4,000 and 5,400 feet is a transition zone where conditions vary widely. Above about 5,400 feet, the snowpack becomes deeper and more winter-like.
In the below-treeline elevation band, the transition zone features a shallow, wet snowpack in many places, though some areas remain frozen and supportable. Expect wet snow concerns and spring-like conditions, especially on warm or sunny days.
At upper elevations (above about 5,500 feet), the snowpack is gradually gaining strength. A 2–3 foot thick slab near the surface is stiffening, settling, and becoming more cohesive. This strengthening slab is helping reduce the likelihood of avalanches failing on the two buried surface hoar layers below. While the surface hoar is slowly breaking down, and may become a non-factor, but we expect it to linger in the snowpack for at least a couple more weeks.
Surface conditions at upper elevations today consisted of 2–4 inches of new snow sitting on a pencil-hard slab. Winds were generally mild, though we observed signs of previous moderate wind loading along ridgelines. Some leeward starting zones appeared filled in with drifted snow. With stronger winds in the forecast for Sunday into Monday, these loaded leeward slopes could become a greater concern.