Stevens Pass

You could initiate small, but fast-moving surface sluffs on very steep slopes without sun crusts. On the highest, wind-prone ridgelines, increasing winds may create reactive, shallow wind slabs as the day progresses. Saturday will be a great day to get out and see what's near the surface at your favorite backcountry area, before a series of storms arrive on Sunday. 

Avalanche danger is low, but we've had some epic conditions for surface faceting, and dry loose slides may be easier to trigger as a result. Expect that 'sluffs' could occur on very steep slopes without sun crusts, mainly on west to north to east aspects. These could run fairly fast due to the condition of weakened snow surfaces, and in some places, recent crusts are not too far beneath. Avoid being in places of consequence after you get them going. With very cold temperatures and fairly light winds during the weak, expect to find generally great conditions for travel on Saturday. 'Recycled powder' can be expected on many sheltered and shaded slopes, and even in some exposed alpine bowls. 

You could find very isolated pockets of windslab at higher elevations from earlier in the week. These are unlikely to be triggered and would probably be small, but in very steep or unsupported convex type slope features you may still be able to trigger one. Increasing winds may also form shallow, reactive slabs in the most exposed locations on Saturday. If you see wind drifting snow, sculpted surfaces or feel stiffer snow, consider the consequences of triggering a small wind slab. Once the winds do start to move snow, conditions will change quickly. This doesn't appear to happen until Sunday for most areas, however. 

Observers found widespread surface facets and surface hoar both east and west of the pass on Friday. With the cold temperatures, surface facets were staying intact above a thin sun crust on direct south-facing aspects. The area saw sun on Thursday and Friday, and shallow, loose avalanches ran on sunny slopes in many locations. With a series of storms on the horizon, tracking surface and near-surface conditions could prove insightful. There are a number of crusts and potential weaker layers in the upper snowpack. These aren't a concern at the moment, but could be with enough new snow at some point in the future. The Valentines Crust serves as a prominent marker, as it's fairly thick in most places. On northerly aspects, it may be crumbly and mixed with facets, on southerly aspects its a stronger melt-freeze crust. There is about 2-3ft of recent snow over it near the crest, and about 1-2ft over it further east in the zone.