West and southwest winds blew in the 20's and 30's for the past two days and that's the big game changer with stability on the Skyline this weekend. I suspect wind drifts along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges will be sensitive to the additional weight of a rider and today's slabs will break wider and deeper than you might expect. Most pronounced on slopes facing the north half of the compass, once triggered, today's avalanches will pack a punch and have the possibility to break into deeper buried weak layers as they crash down on the slope below. It doesn't mean you can't ride today. It does mean you should carefully assess the terrain and consider options, like slopes that face the south half of the compass or simply head to terrain that's sheltered from the wind.

You'd have to go out of your way to trigger a deep avalanche that breaks to old snow near the ground. But our problem child... weak, sugary snow near the ground still exists in steep, rocky, upper elevation terrain facing the north half of the compass. If your travels take you into complex terrain today stop for a moment, carefully assess the snowpack, and think about the consequences of triggering an avalanche.