The snowpack is generally stable and natural and human-triggered avalanches are unlikely. LOW avalanche danger does not mean NO avalanche danger. In isolated areas, you may encounter:
- Overall, the slabs of wind-drifted snow that formed during the last windy period have mostly stabilized but there may still be a few drifts out there that remain sensitive to the weight of a skier or rider. With a bump in winds today into tomorrow, pay attention to any signs of drifting snow. These potentially unstable drifts are most prevalent on steep, northerly-facing slopes above the treeline. They will be the most problematic in areas of consequential terrain where you could be swept into rocks or carried over a cliff.
- Small sluffs within the snow surface, or directly below a shallow wind skin on steep slopes on shady aspects. Think about the type of terrain you are traveling above, and where a skier or rider could end up if knocked off their feet. In confined and sustained terrain features, sluffs can pile up deeply, especially in terrain traps.
- While the likelihood of triggering an avalanche on the buried persistent weak layer that formed in November has become so low that we have removed that problem from our forecast. A remote possibility exits however in thinner snowpack areas, or in very steep, rocky, radical terrain.
Always practice safe travel techniques regardless of conditions. Continue to evaluate the snowpack and gather as much information as possible. Use test slopes that are representative of the terrain you wish to ski.
This is an example of the type of steep, wind drifted terrain you should still pay attention to. Note the areas of wind drifted snow hanging above consequential terrain.
