I have really been influenced by Drew Hardesty's focus on identifying your avalanche problem, and then determining how it can be managed. Today it is pretty clear that the old snow surface faceted over the past several days, so the current avalanche problem is this layer is preserved and there is now a shallow, soft slab on top. Currently this isn't much of a problem and the hazard is managed easily (and should I say also quite fun) with ski cuts. Today I was able to easily get several sluffs and shallow soft slabs to run on the old snow surface on slopes steeper than about 35 degrees. I was finding the old snow surface to be especially weak on NW through E aspects.

Currently there isn't much of a slab on top, so although sluffs were common, they were also very easy to manage and mitigate. With additional snow and wind in the forecast, things may be especially touchy by Friday morning.

The old snow surface is mostly near-surface facets, although some surface hoar is also present, but it is not widespread where I was looking. Over the next several days I would pay particular attention to shady mid-elevation slopes where the surface hoar may have been better preserved.

Video is snowpack discussion focusing on the layer of preserved NSF.

Video showing results of ski cut.