Watch for unstable wind slabs in the steepest terrain near treeline, at elevations approximately between 10,500' and 11,800'. Avoid cornices and convex pillows of wind-drifted snow in extreme and steep terrain.
At near treeline elevations, watch for wind slabs in the starting zones of the steepest terrain. These slabs will likely be small, but may pack a punch in steep and consequential terrain near cliffs and other terrain traps.
Watch for chalky and funky feeling slabs where harder snow overlays softer snow. Wind slabs can also be very hard and may present a hollow drum-like sound as you traverse a slope.
Cornices have formed on some difficult-to-access ridgelines near and above treeline. It's unlikely that these cornices will fall spontaneously, but they may break with the weight of a person. And this can be a serious problem when cornices are perched above cliffs.
They can break further back than ya think, as illustrated by the crack forming in the above cornice icon. Recent winds have eroded many cornices.
Even as avalanche danger decreases, always maintain proper travel protocol. Keep eyes on your partners and only expose one person at a time to avalanche paths. Remember, "low avalanche" danger does not mean "no avalanche danger".
High elevations have low avalanche hazard, due to wind eroding the snowpack. Where snow remains above ~11,800', the snowpack is strong and firm. On Saturday wind slabs indicated less sensitivity than the previous day. New wind slab development is unlikely with the current Sunday forecast. However, there may still be some reactive wind slabs lingering in the steepest terrain near treeline. Stay alert, especially in consequential terrain!
Overall the snowpack near treeline has a poor to fair structure in the top 50cm. The good news is that all our examinations over the past two days indicate a snowpack with moderate to high strength and unlikely failure propagation.
Crampons and ice axe will help with firm snow conditions near and above treeline.
Temperature gradients remain high and near surface faceting is a concern, especially as significant snowfall may occur next Wednesday through Saturday.
The last known large avalanches occurred in mid-January during the MLK Storm Cycle. These large natural avalanches resulted from failures in the basal facets/depth hoar mentioned above. The last known avalanche occurred between January 23-27 and was a relatively small wind slab.
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