Weak, sugary facets that formed during January are now protected under a dense, cohesive slab buried between 1 and 4' deep. Obvious clues and red flags are not screaming at us any more, and there is a good chance we can trench multiple sets of tracks on a slope without triggering an avalanche. Heres the catch though, all we need to do is find a weakness where the slab and weak layer are susceptible to our additional weight as a rider, maybe around a rock outcropping or tree, collapse the pack, and trigger the avalanche.

This problem is unpredictable, hard to manage and I am uncertain about how this weeks heat will affect the buried facets. As temperatures begin to increase, avoid complex slopes that are rocky and steep on the north half of the compass where this structure exists.

On a north facing slope near 11,000' you can see a cohesive slab sitting over our weak, sugary, facets that have been the culprit of recent human-triggered and natural avalanches. With this weeks historical warm-up, our facets are going to get a historical test and things could get interesting.

Last week, low elevations slopes on the north half of the compass took on some heat and produced small pockets of wet slabs. These slopes have similar structure to those at upper elevations, and are a potential indicator of whats to come later this week as temperatures reach historical levels.

Temperatures are on the rise, and other than a few spring-like days, the range is in the process of going through its first significant warm-up of the season. Expect small pockets of wet snow to become reactive as the temps bump up, the winds back-off, and the pack begins to feel the additional weight and stress.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for cornices peeling off and breaking with the heat, as they could potentially trigger a slide. And if the snowpack begins to get punchy, or you start to see pinwheels and roller balls whizzing around you, it may be time to change plans and head for cooler pastures.