New wind slabs are out there. Luckily the loading pattern is predictable, and limited to alpine and exposed treeline areas.
Confidence
Moderate - Wind effect is extremely variable
Weather Forecast
Tomorrow will be similar to today. Mostly cloudy with a few flurries. Light winds at all elevations and temperatures ranging from -17 to -8. The week end appears to be consistent with this more seasonal weather pattern.
Avalanche Summary
Nothing new today, but skies were obscured most of the day.
Snowpack Summary
The last 24 hours has been windy in the alpine and treeline areas. The westerly winds have built new windslabs near ridges, and loaded many alpine bowls. Treeline also has new slabs, but not as widespread; they tend to disappear quickly below ridge lines. It's important to remember how bad the facetted mid/lower pack is. In all honesty, after a record breaking cold snap like that one, this forecaster has NO trust in the midpack. How it will behave with a new load and warming trend is a question few, if any of us can answer with any certainty. In times like this, let mellow terrain guide you.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.