Northern New Mexico

We have generally safe avalanche conditions on most slopes.  On your travels today keep an eye out for isolated pockets of wind drifted snow primarily on West facing aspects above treeline. These areas will have a dense snow surface and feel hollow under foot. Cohesionless snow found near and below tree line has created a small Loose Dry avalanche concern. You will see this snow easily move in steeper terrain greater than 35 degrees. Be mindful of chokes in the terrain or cliff bands where a small slough might knock you off your feet. 

Moderate East/Northeast winds from Dec 2-4 have easily transported the 2-4" we received on Wednesday.  Above treeline you may find isolated pockets of wind slab that rest above weak faceted snow.   Look for wind drifted pillows and stiffening of the snow surface that may feel hollow or sound drummy.  Obvious red flags such as collapses and shooting cracks are indications you've found unstable snow. Think about what the consequences of releasing one of these small pockets would be before committing to a slope. 

 We've become a facet factory over the last week with big temperature swings from warm sunny days to cold clear nights. It's looking like this trend will continue over the next week as we wait for the next storm.  We are finding more and more slopes near and below treeline that have become cohesion-less faceted snow from top to bottom in the snowpack.  In steeper terrain, it's easy to get this snow to entrain itself creating small Loose Dry snow avalanches. Although typically not a big problem, if in steep complex terrain this snow can knock you off your feet taking you where you may not want to go.

If out traveling on North through East aspects above treeline be aware that a strong over weak structure may till exist in isolated pockets of terrain. Take the time to dig and identify if this structure exists before committing to a slope. It's become unlikely to trigger an avalanche into deeper weak layers of snow but not impossible. The areas where you still find a cohesive slab sitting over weak snow are the ones you should be interested in gathering more information about. The margins of these pockets where the slab is thinnest or around rock outcroppings are the most likely places for you to still impact deeper weak layers. 

Lower angled terrain less than 35 degrees on wind-sheltered slopes near treeline offer some good skiing and riding right now. It's just the beginning of December with an overall shallow snowpack.  Natural obstacles such as rocks and downed timber continue to be hazards.