Banner Summit

Be on the lookout for small, freshly formed drifts at upper elevations. As the day warms up, small loose snow avalanches are possible on very steep slopes that face the sun. It would take a dose of bad luck, but there's a remote chance of triggering a large slide in very steep, rocky, wind-affected terrain. 

Yesterday's small storm brought 5-8" of new snow and generally light to moderate wind. While not enough to bump the danger, this new snowfall changes the picture just enough to reorder your mental shortlist of problems to look out for today, especially if you're planning a day in the bigger peaks:

• Wind Slabs: Be on the lookout for a fresh set of thin, isolated wind slabs. You're most likely to encounter this problem at upper elevation. Fresh slabs are likely to be very small but have the potential to knock you off your feet. These as well as older, weathered slabs will be most sensitive where they rest above polished icy surfaces or pockets of weak, faceted snow. Watch Ben's video to see real live snowflakes falling from the sky!
• Loose Snow: A fresh blanket of light dry snow will be easy pickings for the sun. Expect to see small loose snow avalanches on very steep slopes that face the sun. These slides often start near rocks or the base of a warm tree and fan out and collect snow as they go.
• Weak Snow Near the Ground: Weak, sugary, faceted snow exists at the base of the snowpack on shaded NW-N-NE-E facing middle elevation slopes and on many upper elevation slopes. It would take a dose of bad luck, to trigger a 5-7 foot thick monster slide on this layer, but the consequences would be severe. 
• Cornices: Cornices are abnormally large for January. Look out for yawning cracks that form when these blocks of snow peel away from steep ridges. Continue to give these unpredictable features the respect they deserve.

Yesterday's snow may be the last we see till February and our list of relatively low probability avalanche problems isn't likely to change. While the avalanche danger is LOW, playing in the mountains comes with unavoidable objective hazards. Even small avalanches can have big consequences in larger, more complex terrain. Considering the consequences of an avalanche before riding a slope is a good way to keep your ambitions in check.