The danger may be elevated in steep terrain and gully features, especially on solar aspects if the sun is out. Loose dry snow is sluffing fast and far and can knock you off or bury you in a terrain trap.
Weather Forecast
Temperatures should remain moderate over the next few days. Little precipitation and wind is forecast but winds may gust into the moderate range. Little short term change to the snowpack is expected.
Snowpack Summary
The surface snow is a mix of soft powder and wind effect in alpine areas. The recent cold temperatures have facetted much of the rest of the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
Small, loose, dry avalanches were noted today.
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.