To get an avalanche, you need three things working together: a weak layer, a slab on top of it, and a slope steep enough to slide. Right now, we have all of that, with old October/November facets buried under recent storm snow on slopes steeper than 30 degrees across the northern half of the compass.

We saw plenty of proof over the weekend, with widespread avalanche activity and obvious red flags. As we move farther from the loading event, those signs might not be as obvious, but the dangerous setup is still very much in play.

This extends through both upper- and mid-elevation terrain, and both should be approached with caution, though upper-elevation slopes are the most suspect today. These areas received the most snow and have the most connected weak layer. Avalanches in this setup can even be triggered remotely, meaning you could collapse the weak layer and start a slide from a distance.

The northwest winds have been cranking for several days now. In some areas, these winds have scoured the snow surface, but in others, they are actively drifting snow and forming fresh soft and hard slabs. Be on the lookout for slopes that are loading or have that rounded, pillow-like appearance. Cracking under your feet, a hollow feel, or stiff, chalky snow are all signs of fresh wind drifts you should avoid.

These drifts can appear a few hundred feet below ridgelines, in protected terrain features or catches, or right around treelines. Even if the ridgeline looks scoured, the slopes just a few turns below can still be loaded with fresh, unstable pockets of wind-drifted snow. Keep an eye out for these spots, as they could be easy to trigger today.

On slopes where a weak layer of faceted snow lies 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.