Our recent storm ushered strong winds coupled with dense, heavy snow. That combo brought dormant, persistent weak layers back to life, particularly in terrain where the snowpack is thin and weak. Remember- "persistent weak layers" in the snowpack are a headache because all we need to do is find one weakness, maybe around a bush or rock that we can't see buried underneath the snow, collapse the pack, and now we've triggered a deep, dangerous avalanche. The usual suspects come to mind- steep, rocky terrain and slopes that have already avalanched this year. In addition, periphery terrain where the pack has remained shallow all season should be considered guilty until proven otherwise. Another wild card to add to the deck is the possibility of triggering an avalanche low on the slope. Avoidance is the name of the game today.... simply avoid being on or under steep wind drifted slopes.

A local sledder describes the setup and a recently triggered slide near Tower Mountain.