5" of new dense snow in the past 24 hours added yet another load to our already reeling snowpack. Strong winds have made it challenging to tell exactly how much snow we've received since the beginning of the storm, but 12"-18" seems like a solid bet. The main issue however is the strong winds that have been blowing since Sunday afternoon when the initial front arrived. One thing is for sure, avalanche conditions are tricky and today’s slides can fail on weak, sugary snow now buried several feet deep. Once triggered, today's avalanches will be dangerous and will break deeper and wider than you might expect.. Low angle slopes not connected to steep slopes above you along with terrain facing the south half of the compass will be the ticket. With these great riding options available, you can avoid avalanches altogether and have a blast today.

Winds have been nuking along the ridges the past few days. Forming stiff slabs all over the place.

Fresh wind slabs are the most obvious avalanche problem today and they're bordering on unmanageable. Don't get tricked into thinking this is the only avalanche dragon out there. An easily triggered soft slab can quickly get out of hand, especially if it breaks into weaker layers of the snowpack as it crashes down on the slope below.