West Slopes North

Hard and irregular, bumpy surfaces are your main hazard in the backcountry right now, although you'll probably find soft snow on steep south-facing terrain midday. Prepare for travel on firm snow surfaces. Do not linger beneath large, gaping glide cracks and other major overhead hazards. 

We saw the coolest temperatures we've seen in about 2 weeks on Friday. This is the first time some of our weather stations, especially at mid and upper elevations, have gotten below freezing since around January 10. Temperatures trended downwards for a few days prior to Friday, as did our concern for glide avalanches. It's still not completely out of the question that a glide avalanche could happen, but we believe most have already run their course. 

The biggest risk in the backcountry is surface conditions, paired with low-snow hazards like exposed rocks, trees, and creeks. Slick crusts, bumpy runnels, and other tricky surfaces will persist until new snow arrives. Sharp gear like ski or boot crampons—and a self-arrest tool for steeper terrain—are good to have. South aspects have been softening, even on Friday while temperatures were coolest, and has been offering decent riding where surfaces are smooth. Full sun was an added bonus for helping the south slopes soften. 

Isolated glide slabs and blocks still linger on cliffs and rocky terrain. These can release even during cooler periods after prolonged warmth. Search for glide cracks and lumpy, poorly attached snow on and around cliffs. Identify these overhead hazards and limit exposure at all times. 

Weak snow usually develops during these lengthy cold, dry periods of weather. Observers are beginning to report weak, faceted snow on shady aspects. Thick surface crusts can still facet - and they are starting to - but much more slowly than dry, loose surface snow. Development may be more pronounced below the inversion or at upper elevations near the Cascade Crest, where surface crusts are thinner, and the upper snowpack is drier and more porous. We're thinking about this now, as weather changes are distantly on the horizon and finally starting to get closer. The big question is, when precipitation finally hits, will it be rain that destroys any of these developing weak snow forms, or could it be light, dry snow that might result in weak layers staying preserved until we have enough new snow to result in sizeable avalanches.