No real red flags out there today, thin wind slabs and wind skin on upper ridge lines were not reactive to prodding. Wet activity was kept to a minimum from cool temperatures and already going through a warm up mid week. Sluffing of the surface snow was noted in steeper terrain but not packing much of a punch or entraining much snow. Once again it seems the weakest part of the snow pack is in the top 5 inches, faceting of the surface snow was noted on most northerly terrain that was not wind affected, and the sure sign of surface faceting, slippery skinning was commonplace. Wind slabs and wind skin sitting on lighter density snow may become a problem if we get a decent dose of snow, but 6 or 7 inches of cold smoke is not going to change the hazard much.

Photos: surface hoar growth in the drainage bottoms, and wishing everybody a Happy New Year.