Ted and I worked on one of our weather stations in upper Whitney Basin last week and then took time to stomp around and get a feel for the snow. And man... has it changed! Yup, our snowpack is beginning to feel the negative effects of the November dry spell as the endless string of clear, cool nights overtakes any warmth during the day. Unfortunately, the snowpack is taking a hard hit. In fact, on some high elevation shady slopes, the snow has grown so weak and sugary just moving around on it offers a challenge unto itself... sorta like wallowing in a sandbox. Not a problem now, but once it starts snowing again... heads up!

Today's avy danger is pretty straight-forward and you'd really have to go out of your way to trigger a slide. The bad news is... even a small wind drift along the leeward side of an upper elevation ridge can easily knock you off your feet and take you for a nasty ride through rocks, deadfall, or stumps.

And remember- just 'cause you can see it from the road doesn't means it's good to go. Our high mountain passes dump us off in avalanche terrain. I think about early season roadside attractions like Murdock Bowl off the Mirror Lake Highway or Wolf Creek Bowl near highway 35 and Wolf Creek Pass. Easy grabs... right? Even though it might not seem like there's enough snow to avalanche, today you'll want to avoid any steep, wind drifted slope.