Winds on Pre-Laurel Peak: SSE 30-40 G50 Temp 27° Percent of Normal: 96%

Southerly winds are officially cranking and have been blowing in the 30-40 mph range since about 9:00 p.m. last night. They'll continue to blast today as a powerful storm system moves into the region. Look for increasing clouds today, nuking winds, and high temps in the upper 30's. Light snow may develop this afternoon but any chance for measurable snowfall will occur tonight. Unfortunately for us, the bulk of this system is passing by to the north, and with these winds, I fear a blowout. 3"-5" seem likely by tomorrow.

In the words of pro observer Sam Van Wetter, "it was pretty gnarly out there" yesterday. He reported finding mostly wind affected surfaces including sastrugi, scoured to the rocks southerly aspects, as well as a liberal distribution of shallow wind slabs. Read his observation here. There isn't much loose snow available for transport, but with the souring effect of these powerful winds, fresh slabs of wind drifted snow will likely continue to form today. They'll become deeper and more widespread by tomorrow if we get a some snow. Look for blocks of snow breaking between your skis, and suspect smooth, rounded deposits that sound or feel hollow underneath. Cracking is a sign of instability. There remains a low likelihood, high consequence risk for triggering a deep avalanche failing on weak, faceted snow near the ground. Keep the odds in your favor by avoiding steep, rocky, complex terrain.