Other than a shallow avalanche or two, the snowpack has been rather well-behaved the past few days. Sure we've got plenty of weak layers, and we've got a bed surface, and no shortage of triggers, but we've been missing a key ingredient... a slab! And that all changed early this morning as strong winds are beginning to change the landscape. In fact, I'd expect to see a fresh batch of cohesive slabs already forming, especially along the leeward side of upper elevation ridges.

And remember- our Persistent Weak Layer, buried in the mid portion of the snowpack is in its teenage years and it doesn't take much effort to get it riled up. Yesterday, pro observer JG reported big booming whoomphing sounds and sudden collapses of the snowpack ... eerie indicators of a weak, rotten snowpack with a dense layer of snow on top. And that was before the wind started blowing! Here's where it gets tricky... the surface snow may feel good to go, but we need to think about not only the snow we're riding in, but also the snow we're riding on. And here's where it gets dangerous- any slide triggered will break several feet deep, and a couple hundred feet wide, failing on one of the many persistent weak layers of faceted snow in the snowpack (see JG's beautiful pit profile and comments below).

Ridgetop winds are beginning to crank and that'll help create drifts, sensitive to our additional weight. Found mostly on the leeward side of upper elevation ridges, today you'll also want to be on the lookout for fresh drifts around terrain features like chutes and gullies. Remember- a fresh wind drift may break deeper and wider than you might expect, especially as it crashes down on a slope below. Easy to manage and even easier to avoid... simply lose some elevation and you lose the problem.