The Blues have picked up nearly 1' of new snow since Thursday. This new snow is sitting on a crust that formed on Monday, and combined with moderate West winds today will create touchy storm and wind slabs. Temperatures will rise above freezing today, further solidifying the new snow into a slab. Use caution on slopes >35 degrees, especially if wind loaded.
Fresh wind slabs will build this weekend, with plenty of new snow available for transport. Winds will increase throughout the day, with gusts into the upper 30's by the end of the day. If you observe shooting cracks, wind pillows, dune-like formations you are staring at a wind slab. Triggering a wind slab could send you into consequential terrain. Avoid wind loaded slopes and convex rolls.
With another 5" of snow overnight, the Blues have received nearly 1' since Thursday. This new snow is sitting on a melt-freeze crust in many locations, and may not want to bond to the old interface. Take some time to dig down and observe how well the new snow is bonding before "stepping out" to larger terrain features. The high for today is above freezing, so the new snow will form into more of a slab throughout the day.
You can already add up Two Red Flags before leaving the house today: Wind loading and 1' of new snow. Before you dial up your terrain, take some time to analyze how well the new snow is bonding to the old snow interface. If you observe signs of warming throughout the day (snowmelt on trees, roller balls) it's a good idea to avoid avalanche terrain. As the snow warms it settles into a more cohesive slab, increasing its likelihood of sliding, especially when sitting on a crust. If you need a refresher on the RED Flags, watch this video.
