Winds from the west increased overnight and will remain elevated throughout the day, creating pockets of wind-drifted snow at upper elevations, including some exposed mid-elevation slopes. While these slabs are most prominent on leeward slopes, strong winds can load any aspect due to cross-loading from swirling and shifting wind directions.

The prolonged elevated winds will continue to form both soft and some hard slabs of wind-drifted snow. These fresh wind drifts may be sensitive and 6 to 12 inches deep, possibly deeper in upper-elevation alpine terrain. Where the snow is becoming more supportable, the slabs may allow travel further onto the slope before signs of cracking or instability appear.

The Dry January Layer (DJL) of faceted snow is 2-4 feet deep and buried by a strong slab and supportable crusts, with the last reported human-triggered avalanche failing on the DJL on February 26. As we continue to move further away from our last loading event, triggering an avalanche failing on the DJL is unlikely, and this problem is moving toward dormancy.

The suspect terrain where you can still trigger a deep, hard slab avalanche failing on the DJL will be on a northerly aspect at the upper elevations, where there is a thinner snowpack, such as a "repeater slope" that avalanched during our mid-February avalanche cycle.

Stairs Gulch avalanche – natural on the PWL, 3/6 – likely a repeater slope.

Although temperatures will be warm, the increased cloud cover and westerly winds should keep the snow surface cool today and limit avalanche activity involving wet-loose snow on solar and southerly aspects. If the sun does come out for a prolonged period, avalanche danger could rise to MODERATE on solar aspects and lower-elevation north-facing terrain.

Pay attention to changing conditions. Watch for wet rollerballs and soggy snow as signs that the snow surface is taking on heat, and switch to a different aspect.