The biggest issue is the facetted structure of the upper snowpack. The propensity for skier or cornice triggered loose dry avalanches persists in steep confined gulleys on ice routes as well as large, steep & uniform ski slopes.
Weather Forecast
Mainly cloudy with sunny breaks with a snowball's chance in hell of new snow. Winds will be westerly moderate to strong in the alpine. Freezing levels will be at valley bottom for Sunday.
Avalanche Summary
Some loose snow avalanches reported and observed up to 1.5 with skier traffic or from explosive control work.
Snowpack Summary
Little to no change in the snowpack other than a paltry 5 centimeters of new snow on the 14th of January. The snowpack areas that have 70-80 centimeters or more supports well enough and below threshold depth, the snowpack has little to offer in the way of structure or support. The entire upper third of the snowpack is facetted in the alpine and treeline and below it is rotten right to the ground.
Problems
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.
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.