Triggered wind slab avalanches are likely in exposed terrain this morning. Strong south and west winds during the storm and northwest winds overnight occurred during periods of heavy snowfall causing significant loading in lee slope deposition zones. The drifted snow will be stiffer than the fresh powder, but might still be soft and rather undetectable. Otherwise obvious wind slabs might be hidden by a bit of capping fresh powder. Expect sensitive or perhaps stubborn wind slabs on the lee sides of ridge-lines and in and around terrain features like rock outcroppings, sub-ridges and gullies. Fresh wind slabs could be 2 feet deep in places and they could be fairly wide, depending on terrain.

The weekend storm created dangerous conditions in the backcountry, with heavy snow, strong winds, and rapid accumulations on preexisting weak snow. In places the fresh slab could fail on last week's snow surface consisting of sugary faceted snow and/or feathery surface hoar. Dangerous storm slab avalanche conditions exist today on steep slopes, and the now buried persistent weak layers that are notoriously slow to heal will continue to be of concern for a while.

Feathers of Surface Hoar or frost like these in Wood Camp Hollow can become a persistent weak layer if buried intact.