Low Danger does not mean No Danger. Make observations continually as you travel.
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
A dry ridge of high pressure is forecast to develop for the forecast period. Expect increasingly clear skies and light ridge top winds. Freezing levels should hover around valley bottom for all 3 days.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches have been reported.
Snowpack Summary
Over the weekend about 5 cm of low-density snow fell. In exposed, high elevation terrain, moderate winds may have shifted these accumulations into soft wind slabs in the immediate lee of ridge crests. At lower elevations, you may be able to find either isolated pockets of surface hoar or a crust with facets that was reported to be buried on December 17th. Reports from the field indicate that this layer is now starting to break down and gain strength.
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.