People could trigger wind slab avalanches today, especially in exposed terrain at upper elevations and probably also on some drifted mid-elevation slopes facing the northern half of the compass. Wind slab avalanches could fail on a preexisting layer of weak surface snow. Wind slab avalanches up to 2 feet thick might fail on this layer where it exists. Soft new wind slabs will form in and around terrain features during today's storm

• Avoid steep slopes with thick and/or stiff deposits of recently wind-drifted snow.
• New snow is likely to hide them, but wind slabs often are smooth and chalky looking, and they can sound hollow, like a drum.
• Cracking is an obvious sign of instability.
• Soft wind slabs of drifted new snow might be quite sensitive to human triggering, while hard, older wind slabs can be devious, sometimes allowing people to get well out on them before releasing suddenly, like a mousetrap.

A buried persistent weak layer problem likely still exists in outlying upper-elevation terrain, but this is unconfirmed since many popular slopes remain unvisited. In the southern half of the zone, including the Logan Peak Area and the Wellsville Range, much upper-elevation avalanche terrain remains difficult to access, and few people are venturing there. We are still concerned by poor snowpack structure, with a weak layer of November facets near the ground. In many areas, especially at mid elevations, those grains are now moist or wet due to all the rain, and overall, they’re showing less signs of instability. Until proven otherwise, dangerous, hard slab avalanches up to 3 feet deep remain possible in isolated or outlying drifted terrain.

Another potential buried persistent weak layer consisting of glittery surface hoar and/or small sugary grains of faceted snow may exist on last year's snow surface. Buried by the New Year's storm, it could have been preserved intact on some slopes. Slab avalanches today could fail on a persistent weak layer in the Christmas-New Year's interface.

Heavy snowfall and drifting today will elevate avalanche conditions on steep slopes, with soft slab and loose avalanches of storm snow becoming increasingly possible... The storm is expected to intensify tonight and continue into tomorrow, with natural activity becoming possible tonight.

• Winter campers should pitch their camp well out from under steep slopes.
• The new snow avalanche problem is likely to create dangerous conditions in the backcountry by tomorrow.