Poor structure – a slab above various layers of weak snow - remains widespread in the snow pack. It is still possible for a person to trigger a slide failing on one of these unpredictable weak, sugary layers, on a steep, shady northwest through easterly facing slope, that would be 1 to 3 feet deep, and up to a couple hundred feet wide. Thinner snowpack areas are particularly suspect – such as rocky rollovers, the Park City and Millcreek ridge lines and drainages and the mid elevations. Weak basal facets have been noted on southwesterly facing slopes, too.

Craig and Andrew went and looked at the Caribou slide in Snake Creek, which failed on one of the facet layers:

Full observation with video here.

Vast amounts of snow are available for transport, and a mini wind event yesterday on Cutler Ridge, Ben Lomond, quickly whipped up some very sensitive wind drifts, which could be triggered from a distance. A brief overnight increase in wind speeds created new drifts along the higher elevations, and drifts will become even more widespread as wind speeds increase this afternoon and tonight.

Heads up: tomorrow the landscape and danger will change with strong winds in the forecast.

Cutler ridge wind slab, Doug Wewer photo.

Both dry and wet loose sluffs are possible today.

Dry loose sluffs: could still be triggered today on very steep slopes of all aspects, and a few may be far running if they have slick sun or wind crusts beneath them.

Wet Loose Sluffs: direct sun and warming temperatures this afternoon may dampen the snow surface on south through westerly facing slopes, making it possible to trigger damp sluffs on steep slopes