The DJL (Dry January Layer) is now buried 1 to 3 feet beneath the surface and has been responsible for four avalanche fatalities, several accidents, and more than 60 reported avalanches.

Over the past few days, signs of instability have become less obvious during backcountry travel and in snowpits, suggesting the snowpack is gradually gaining strength, especially in areas with deeper or fully saturated snow. This can create a false sense of security and draw people into avalanche terrain. We are still only a few days past the last significant, unique loading event. While the likelihood of triggering an avalanche is slowly decreasing, the consequences remain just as high. In my opinion, a lot of uncertainty still surrounds this snowpack structure, how the recent rain and heavy loading event have impacted it, and its spatial variability.

Recent avalanches, both large natural and human-triggered, highlight the high-consequence nature of this layer. Thinner snowpack areas remain particularly suspect, and avalanches can still be triggered remotely or from below. Continue to evaluate snow and terrain carefully, stay aware, and travel conservatively in the backcountry.

Previous rain on snow and warm temperatures have created a saturated, unsupportable snowpack at mid and low elevations.

As daytime temperatures rise and the surface crust softens, wet snow avalanches may be triggered.

Sustained strong westerly winds continue to create thick, stiff slabs and large cornices along upper-elevation ridges. These slabs may be difficult to trigger but could break above you and carry into lower-angle slopes.

Watch for signs of wind-drifted snow, such as round, pillow-shaped drifts, and avoid those slopes.

Any avalanche initially triggered in the wind-drifted snow has the potential to step down, producing a much deeper and wider avalanche that fails on the persistent weak layer.