The snowpack has a large improvement in the last while. In general things feel quite good in moderate alpine terrain and treeline areas. If going into bigger terrain, do you due diligence and find/assess the deep layers of concern before committing.
Weather Forecast
Thin clouds are expected by the afternoon. It will be another cold start to the day with temps around -25. They should "warm up" to -20 by the afternoon. No snow and light north winds.
Avalanche Summary
A few small spindrift avalanches on large cliff faces.
Snowpack Summary
The slow but steady flurries have gradually left us with 10-15cm of recent snow. Light winds have kept this snow light and slab free. There is a minor failure at the new/old snow interface, but the lack of a slab keeps it from being a problem. The midpack is also solid and consistent. The weak basal layers are still there, but the strong midpack and "trickle" loading pattern are keeping it unreactive. Having said that, during today's trip, we did encounter thin transitional areas where we felt a need to pay attention and respect the bottom layers. The Jan 17th surface hoar is becoming evident in open areas below treeline, Lots of large whumphs and shooting cracks. There is a chance it could be higher in some drainages. Keep an eye out.
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.