Upper Slate

Wind-eroded terrain features are my biggest concern for triggering a collapse that could then connect into deeper slabs right now.  This area has seen enough wind both near and below treeline that there is a lot of variability in slab thickness from slope to slope.  Still getting rumbling collapses or shooting cracks by traveling through shallow terrain features (<100 cm), though not as widespread as what others reported a few days ago in similar terrain.   On wind-loaded or wind-sheltered terrain, slabs are thick enough that it would be difficult to impact the weak layer; perhaps boot pen or a stuck snowmobile could do it.  There is also some evidence of weak layer strengthening in the deeper snowpacks; we looked at the January weak layer in one area where the snowdepth was over 200 cm and the facets are 4F and rounding.  

Slopes with shallow snow depths continue to produce occasional cracking or collapses; these spots are fairly isolated in easterly terrain and specific in westerly terrain. One rumbling slope-scale collapse triggered skinning across an east-facing convex terrain feature where snow depth was only 90cm due to wind erosion. Several feature-wide shooting cracks while snowmobiling on wind-eroded terrain on the west to southwest facing side. Not sure how far the collapses radiated because.....braaaaaaap.