With the expected heavy snowfall all night, I would expect some of the usual storm snow problems including density inversions and wind slabs within the new snow. As always, monitor the snow carefully as you travel by jumping on small test slopes and regularly digging down with your hand. The new snow is falling on near-surface faceted snow in many areas, which will be especially weak and persistently unstable for several days. Especially in places where either wind drifted snow or the new snow has formed a slab, the avalanches should be especially sensitive and persistent.

It's a tricky situation because I suspect that the hazard will actualy be less at higher elevations than mid and lower elevations because the rime on Monday covered up the near-surface faceted snow and the winds before that helped to destroy much of the near-surface faceted snow, while the NSF snow exists intact at mid and lower elevations. So it might be safer up high initially, it may be trickier in the long run because the faceted snow may persist longer under the rime crust. I'm curious to find out....

You will have to watch out for wind slabs that were formed before the snow started as well as wind slabs formed within the new snow. The new snow will cover up the old wind slabs making them invisible. They will feel strong and supportable until they break deep below the stout wind slabs on the weak, faceted snow underneath. The wind slabs within the new snow will be easier to detect because they will be right on the surface and you can easily jump on test slopes or dig down with your hand.

Bottom Line:

Moderate danger rising posibly to Considerable danger depending on how much snow and wind we get with this storm.