The recent string of human triggered slides breaking to weak snow near and around the Thanksgiving raincrust is proof positive the snowpack is not happy in its own skin. The snowpack is still developing and right now it's sort of in its teenage years and flies off the handle pretty easily. Tricky at best... the snowpack is gaining strength and feels strong under our skis, board, or sled. Scary at worst... the snowpack allows us to get well out onto the slope before it fails. And like my teenage years... look at it the wrong way and you're staring down the barrel of an unpredictable slide.

Once triggered, an avalanche breaking into weak layers of snow now buried in our midpack, will quickly get out of hand and instantly ruin our day. The most likely suspects are steep, wind drifted slopes facing north half of the compass. Since this avalanche dragon is unpredictable, the best offense is a good defense... you simply avoid it. Swing around to lower elevation south facing slopes or choose low angle terrain with no steep slopes above or adjacent to the slopes your riding.

This is a spooky setup because it's unpredictable. Slides are not only breaking in big, open bowls, but also in the trees which we normally think of as "safe zones".

Winds are expected to increase throughout the day and they've got plenty of light density snow to work with. As winds ramp up this afternoon, look for and avoid fresh drifts forming along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges and around terrain features like chutes and gullies.