Avalanches will likely fail 1 to 2 feet deep on very weak faceted snow created during the drawn-out January high pressure systems. Areas plagued by the shallowly buried January 8 rime-crust , which is intact and fairly widespread in the region, and weak faceted snow associated with it are most suspect. The preexisting snow on shady mid elevation slopes is especially weak, and avalanches could occur in unexpected areas on slopes approaching or steeper than 35 degrees. Heavy snowfall and strong winds overnight and tomorrow are likely to add significant weight to the fragile snowpack, and the danger of persistent slab avalanches will increase accordingly. Dangerous avalanche conditions already exist today in some areas with significant accumulations from yesterday's storm. In these conditions you could trigger avalanches remotely, from a distance or worse, from below. Recent avalanches, audible collapsing, and cracking are red flags indicating instability...

Triggered wind slab avalanches around one-foot -deep are possible on drifted upper and mid elevation slopes. Watch for and avoid stiffer fresh wind slabs on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features like cliff bands, sub-ridges, gullies, and scoops. Potential wind slabs are drifts that often appear smooth or rounded and chalky looking, and they sometimes sound rather hollow. Intensifying winds from the west-southwest overnight and tomorrow, along with predicted heavy snowfall will cause the danger of wind slab avalanches to increase further. Cracking and audible collapsing are red flags, and reevaluation of your route is recommended if you encounter these conditions.