You need three ingredients to create an avalanche:

• A weak layer (old Oct/Nov faceted snow)
• A slab (recent storm snow)
• A slope steep enough to slide, anything over 30 degrees. (You get to choose this)

My advice: avoid slopes steeper than 30 degrees and stay off of — and out from under — any terrain facing the north half of the compass. Avalanches in this setup can be triggered remotely, meaning you can collapse the weak layer and start a slide from a distance.

The westerly wind continues to blow at 10–20 mph, with gusts into the 20s along many upper-elevation ridgelines. These winds are actively drifting snow and creating fresh soft and hard slabs of wind-blown snow. Be on the lookout for slopes that are loading or have that rounded, pillow-like look. Cracking under your feet, a hollow feel, or stiff, chalky snow are all signs of fresh wind drifts you should avoid.

On slopes where a weak layer of faceted snow sits underneath, even a small wind drift can overload the structure. The added weight from the wind can make an avalanche break deeper and wider, increasing the likelihood of a human or remote trigger and making the consequences much more severe.

The new snow came in wet and heavy with rising temperatures. This has created an upside-down structure, where denser snow sits on top of lighter snow—an ideal setup for avalanches failing within the new storm snow. As you travel, pay close attention to how the new snow is bonding. Use small test slopes, shovel tilt tests, and slope cuts before committing to anything bigger. Cracking, collapsing, or any slab-like feel in the new snow are clear signs to dial it back.