You may still be able to trigger an avalanche in wind-drifted snow on slopes below ridgelines and at the bases of cliffs. Watch for cracking in drifted snow as a sign to stick to slopes less than 35 degrees. Warming and sunshine could bring another round of wet avalanches on Saturday.
Wet avalanches will be most likely at upper elevations and on sunny slopes. Use caution on very steep slopes where a small avalanche could push you into terrain traps like rocks, trees, or creeks. As warm temperatures and sun increase, the snow may become wet or sticky. Check how easily the snow slides as the day progresses.
(12/27/2025)
As the day warms, watch for avalanches where the sun shines.
Southwest wind and recent snow drifted slabs of 1-1.5 feet deep. Watch for signs of instability, such as cracking in pillow-like drifts of snow. These slabs formed over slick or weak snow layers and may still be easy to trigger. You can avoid these avalanches by steering around drifts or sticking to wind-sheltered terrain. Keep your distance from fresh cornices, as they can fall and trigger slides.
(1/30/2026)
A natural slab avalanche on a leeward slope. Temperatures were warming, and this may've been triggered by cornice fall. Poster Peak, NE, 7,200ftSS-N-D1.5-I
On Friday, observers reported triggering wet avalanches at middle and upper elevations due to rain and warming temperatures. Most of these slides were small. They reported one large natural slab avalanche on a leeward, northerly aspect at upper elevations of Poster Peak. This may have resulted from a cornice collapse. There was about 8" of recent snow over the 1/28 crust.
Before this storm, weak snow and surface hoar were widespread at lower elevations, while upper elevations had a mixture of thick supportable crusts on sunny aspects and breakable crusts on shadier slopes. Observations indicate that the recent snow didn't bond well to the variable old surfaces. As you travel, track the bond at this recent interface using quick hand pits to see how the new snow reacts. If the new snow slides easily as a single cohesive block, you can expect to trigger avalanches.
Travel conditions have been challenging to say the least. We hope this storm improves conditions, but you should still expect rough surfaces, breakable crusts, and old, frozen rain runnels. Rain and warm snow may soften surface crusts, but it is still advisable to bring equipment to prevent long, sliding falls. Better to have it and not use it than not have it when you need it most.
