What a day to be in the hills! Clumps of super-light stellars and perfect winter temperatures with some minor wind. We were not expecting such high snowfall rates, and the lack of visibility and touchy storm snow easily dictated a change in plans to ski low angled trees.

Fortunately the storm snow is so light low-angled slopes continue to be easy to ski, and trail breaking was more than reasonable.

This first photo highlights the touchy storm snow we encountered. Our intention was to travel up through this gap, but when I approached it the steeper slope on the left spider-webbed and remotely triggered small and soft storm snow slabs. Pretty clear it was not a day to travel into the alpine and instead opted for safer terrain.

Second photo shows the sluffing on steeper drainage walls with decent debris piles noted at the bottom.

Quite clear we have tremendous spatial variability - with two slides reported on Saturday, yet also plenty of steeper slopes were skiied without incident. Storm snow is relatively easy to manage, but the lingering persistent slab issue not so. Given the new load we are expecting Sunday and Monday, still not ready to commit to steep slopes with any consequence. Especially concerned in thinner snowpack areas.

Hazard today was clearly Considerable, and will expect the same for Monday. But if we get more snow and wind than forecasted, it could easily go to High by Monday morning.