Schuylkill Peak/Ridge area

It is easy to trigger loose avalanches on northerly facing slopes steeper than 35 degrees near and below treeline where previous winds did not stiffen the surface.  Most triggered avalanches remain small but big enough to carry a person.  I suspect there are a few isolated places  (long slopes with significant vertical drop of steep terrain) where a loose avalanche could grow to a large size.  Sunny aspects near and below treeline have crusts a few cm's thick and will be able to support incoming snowfall this weekend without failing below the crust.

Northerly slopes without wind effects had around 8" of very weak snow at the surface and slopes that previously avalanched this winter were very weak throughout. It was easy to trigger Dry Loose avalanches on slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Loose avalanches were small in size (D1 - D1.5) but had enough power to knock you over and carry you.

The snowpack on the north half of the compass is very weak (and well-documented at this point).  It is easy to trigger loose avalanches near and below treeline on intact slopes and old bed surfaces.  As new snow accumulates in the coming week, I would expect most avalanche activity to fail at the current snow surface.  The surface is very weak on both intact and bed surfaces.  As you climb to near treeline and above wind hardened surfaces appear from previous wind events.

Melt/freeze crusts appear on the south half of the compass near and below treeline.  One location at 11,700 feet facing south-southwest had a 4 cm crust above weak facets below (see image).