Poor Snowpack Structure

Isolated several hasty columns and got consistent failure within the new snow about 10-20 inched deep (less deep at higher elevations due to wind movement and consolidation). The new snow was loose and unconsolidated and not inclined to propagate, though the new snow was forming soft slabs around the ridgeline and could potentially have formed a slab. The bigger concern/unknown was getting a clean, easy release below a pencil hard slab about 4-7 inches thick beginning about 12-18 inched below the surface. Once I punched my pole through this, I got an easy, very clean consistent (Q1) shear planes. That made me nervous - is the new snow deep enough to keep a skier from cracking and releasing that lower layer? Dunno. Probably..... But the uncertainty and yesterday's mayhem kept me off anything steep. Lowish probability, highish consequences. This falls in the Moderate category, I think, but sort of a spooky Moderate.