Avalanche conditions are dangerous in the backcountry, as preexisting layers of very weak snow are overloaded by very heavy snowfall and drifting. The recent heavy new snow is overloading a poor snowpack structure, with a sugary weak layer now buried 1 to 4 feet deep, and the avalanches it can produce are large, destructive, and deadly.

• Natural avalanches failing on the widespread persistent weak layer are likely today, and they could be large and destructive.
• Large, dangerous, and deadly avalanches can be triggered remotely (from a distance or below).
• Audible collapsing or whumpfs and shooting cracks indicate unstable snow, but may not always be present.

This video shows an extended column test from Tuesday in the Northern Bear River Range.

Fresh drifts of wind-drifted storm snow will continue forming today in lee terrain and in and around exposed terrain features at upper elevations. The drifts will further overload previously formed wind slabs, increasing potential for dangerous hard slab avalanches failing on the persistent weak layer formed in January.

• Avoid and stay out from under the large, freshly formed cornices on the ridge lines. These could break further back than expected and may trigger large avalanches on steep slopes below.
• Fresh slabs of wind-drifted snow may be rounded and smooth-looking, and they often sound hollow, like a drum, and they can be found in and around terrain features like sub-ridges, rock outcroppings, gully walls, and mid-slope rollovers.
• A cornice fall or smaller wind slab avalanche overrunning a slope with poor snow structure could cause a much larger avalanche to occur.

Loose wet and wet slab avalanches remain possible on steep slopes with rain-saturated snow. Avalanches failing on the buried persistent weak layer could entrain saturated snow in descent and become large and dangerous.