With 6-14 inches of new snow falling overnight, we should all be on guard for how this snow will bond to the underlying surfaces. New snow soft slabs and dry-loose avalanches will be the primary concern today. These avalanches can fail within the new snow (density changes) or at the old/new snow interface. Shovel tilt tests, small test slopes, and slope cuts should be in your arsenal today. Be sure to evaluate the snow stability before committing to any steep terrain.

The wild card: It's spring, and we are under a moist northwest flow; and with daytime heating we could see some intense thunderstorms and heavy snow showers at times. If one of these storms passes over you in the mountains today you will want to be on guard for rapidly changing avalanche conditions. Remember, heavy snowfall (high precipitation intensity) can instantly spike the avalanche danger.

Five years ago today, March 24, 2019, I forecast an overall LOW avalanche danger with 4-6" of new snow overnight. During the day, we saw a quick burst of snowfall followed by many people caught off guard (myself included) and avalanches over a mile-wide. One party triggered an avalanche 12" deep 1000' wide with all six people being caught and carried with two partially buried and one being injured. The question: Is today any different?

Strong southerly winds ahead of the storm, followed by strong northwest winds during yesterday's frontal passage, makes me think we have some fresh soft slabs of wind-drifted snow. Be on the lookout and avoid snow that looks rounded, wavey, or pillowy. Cracking and collapsing are both signs of unstable snow.