Nothing has changed since yesterday and we've got it all.... weak snowpack structure, lots of water and snow from the recent storm cycle, and the biggest red flag.... lots of deep, scary avalanches! It's a dangerous setup on the Skyline because the snow will feel strong and stable under our sled, skis, or board. However, we've gotta think not only about the snow we're riding in, but also the snow we're riding on, and it's a sketchy setup. Early season snow grew weak and sugary over time and now we have a cohesive piece of snow resting on top. Strong snow on weak snow.... no es bueno!.

The snowpack needs some time to heal and we need to exercise some patience. For the next couple of days you need to avoid being on or under steep slopes, especially those that face the north half of the compass.

Click here for a quick viddy describing the setup.

Road lappers please take note-

Low elevation snow is wet and nearly saturated in some locations and it won't take a large slide to stack up deep piles of cement-like snow, especially if it's channeled into a terrain trap like a gully or stream bed. Just 'cause you can see the car doesn't mean it's safe. Carefully assess your terrain choices and think about the consequences of triggering even a small slide.

Strong west and southwest winds have made cornices quite large and they're unpredictable, breaking back further than you might expect. Once triggered, a cornice could easily break into weaker layers of snow as it crashes to the slope below, creating a slide that quickly gets out of hand..