Recent storm snow buried weak facets from the January dry spell, creating a tricky slab problem. Avalanches 8 to 18 inches deep are being reported daily and are propagating wider as the snow settles and the slab stiffens. Some of these avalanches have even been triggered from a distance.

Slopes where the wind drifted additional snow, into a cohesive slab above the layer of sugary facets, are the most dangerous. The usual signs of wind-drifting we normally look for may not be obvious, as the most recent snow fell with very little wind. Avalanches breaking up to 2 feet deep and more than 200 feet wide are possible. These avalanches are large enough to catch, carry, and bury a rider. This structure is easy to identify with the naked eye if you dig down just a couple of feet. See example below.

While the problem is most pronounced on northerly aspects, the underlying weak structure is widespread and exists across the northern half of the compass, from west through east. On some slopes, existing crusts have helped to shoulder this initial load, but with additional snowfall expected next week, the problem is likely to become more significant and widespread.

Yesterday, Jess Shade and I traveled along the Wolverine Cirque and found the weak snowpack structure. View our observation HERE.

Warm daytime temperatures and strong sun may create conditions for wet snow avalanche through the day. Slopes where surface snow has become wet and heavy are where you can trigger a wet snow avalanche. These avalanches may start small and be slow-moving, but can quickly pick up speed and grow in size as they begin to slide downhill and entrain more snow.

Avoid terrain traps like chutes, gullies, and cliffs where small avalanches can increase consequences and pile up significant avalanche debris.