Hot pow on a sleeping dragon

visit state of the snowpack's recent post for more details - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18b2RGzzWT/ SNOWPACK UPDATE Feb 5 2026 Location: north shore Nelson BC Elevation: 2085 meters Aspect: north Julie-Ann Chapman, @sheshredsmountainadventures , CMBGA 3, CAA Professional. RECENT WEATHER: There has been significant warming (max temps +6C, min temp overnight -0.5C) that last 2 days that has brought our recent new snow to form a consolidated slab (hot pow) on top of the January 28 melt freeze crust. The scary part is the 10-15cm of facets underneath that crust… AVALANCHE FORECAST: Avalanche Canada's forecast for the region showed considerable at all 3 elevation bands. REACTIVE LAYERS: Snow safety work noted one reactive layer in the snowpack: Easy sudden collapse results with propagation properties down about 40cm on facets below the Jan 28 melt freeze crust that is decomposing on polar aspects and more promenant on solar aspects. Did not observe any whumpfing or cracking throughout our travels. HAZARDS & RECOMMENDATIONS: The question is - how much weight can this layer take before it wakes right up? That’s the tricky part about persistent weak layers. They become hard to manage with terrain choices and route finding. Sticking to conservative terrain is best suggested with this dragon lurking below. Simple terrain, low angle, short slopes, micro features, supported terrain 👌🏼