It’s like we’re collectively playing the arcade game Wack-a-mole. No matter how fast, agile, and smart we are, we’ll eventually lose because the game is rigged, just as our snowpack is rigged…with layers of weak facets. As we are several days out from the last wind and snow events, the chance of triggering a slide is decreasing, but the size would be the same - 1 to 3 feet deep, and up to a couple hundred feet wide. By avoiding steep, west through north through easterly facing slopes, you can avoid playing the game and losing. Thinner snowpack areas are particularly suspect – such as rocky rollovers, the Park City and Millcreek ridgelines and drainages and the mid elevations.

One way to get a grasp on these avalanches is to check out the excellent accident reports, with videos, on the last 3 close calls:

• 01/28/2018 Avalanche: West Willow, Skier trigger - 20" deep - 150' wide
• 01/26/2018 Accident: Upper Meadow Chutes, Skier trigger - 3' deep - 200' wide
• 01/24/2018 Avalanche: Pointy Peak, Skier trigger - 2' deep - 100' wide

Wind Slabs: little snow is available for transport, but a few new wind slabs have likely formed at the highest elevations, especially on northerly through easterly facing slopes. The drifts are sitting on dry snow and thin rime crusts, and can be triggered by a person on steep slopes.

Wet Loose: it’s a balancing act today between the cooling clouds and wind and the very warm temperatures. If the sun pops out where you are, the snow will rapidly heat, and you could trigger a wet loose sluff. The snow will also become damp and sloppy on all aspects below about 8,500’ with daytime heating.