A persistent weak layer of October and November facets makes up the base of the snowpack on north-facing slopes at mid and upper elevations. This is primarily on west, through the north, through the east-facing aspects - but may extend all the way to southeast-facing aspects in the upper elevations as well. In these areas, it is still possible to trigger an avalanche up to about 1-2 feet deep and over 100 feet wide.

This setup was obvious over the weekend, with widespread avalanche activity and plenty of red flags. As we move farther from the loading event, those signs may be less obvious, but the structure has not changed. Sensitivity and overall likelihood are slowly dropping, but the consequences remain high.

This problem extends across both mid and upper elevations, and both deserve caution. Upper elevation slopes remain the most suspect because they received the most snow and have the most connected weak layer.

Northwest winds have been cranking for days. In some places they have scoured the surface, but in others they are drifting snow and building both fresh soft and hard slabs. Watch for slopes that are loading or have that rounded, pillow look. Cracking under your feet, a hollow feel, or stiff chalky snow are all signs of new wind drifts to avoid.

The longer the winds blow, the more supportive these slabs become, which means you can get farther out onto the slope before they break.

Where these drifts sit on top of a weak layer of facets, it does not take much to overload the structure. Even a small drift can step down into the weak faceted snow, triggering a much deeper and more dangerous avalanche.