Our focus on the old January facets buried in the snowpack shifts with the upcoming heat wave. It may get warm enough to turn the cold dry facets into wet grains. If this happens, the snowpack could become unstable. Human-triggered wet slab avalanches are possible. We could see natural wet slab avalanches later in the week during the warmest temperatures.

This situation is very hard to predict. The biggest clue is recent natural avalanches. If you see any, this is a major red flag and you should avoid steep slopes. If you find yourself punching deep into sloppy wet snow, this is also a hint that the snow is becoming unstable. If you are going to get onto steep slopes, it is best to do it early in the day and avoid the steep terrain in the afternoon.