A lingering possibility of triggering a dangerous deep slab avalanche exists in outlying terrain and on isolated slopes with shallow snow cover. The slopes we are concerned with have poor snow structure. Weak sugary or faceted snow near the ground overloaded by a slab layer of harder snow creates a potentially unstable situation. Beware areas that avalanched earlier in the winter, since weak snow remained in the bed surfaces and the areas remained shallow. Weak snow structure exists mainly in areas where the total snow is 3' deep or less. Deep avalanches are most likely in shallow rocky upper elevation terrain, but the shallow snow is still also weak in many areas at lower and mid elevations.

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Here's a photo of some well-developed facets that make ascending
difficult; like trying to skin up through very loose sand in places.
(photo credit - T.Weed)

Northwest winds over the past few days may have drifted snow in exposed terrain, and it is possible to trigger wind slab avalanches on some steep drifted slopes at upper elevations.

• Avoid drifts in leeward catch zones near ridge tops and in and around terrain features like gullies, sub-ridges, scoops and rock outcroppings.
• These wind slabs will be a bit stiffer and deeper than a few days ago, but still probably generally manageable. But, be aware of trees or other terrain traps on steep slopes below you.
• Older stiff wind slabs failing on preexisting weak surface snow are also possible in some areas today. Hard wind slabs have the nasty tendency to sometimes allow you to get out on them before releasing.
• The weight of a smaller wind slab avalanche overrunning a slope with poor snow structure could cause a step-down and a deeper much more dangerous avalanche.

As the snow is warmed by direct sun or today, it'll become moist and may be prone to sluffing on steep slopes. Natural loose wet avalanches may become likely if temperatures rise rapidly, and avalanches might be initiated by snow falling off rocks or trees onto steep slopes below. Roller balls or shallow sluffs indicate the potential and increasing danger of wet avalanches. Loose wet sluffs could gouge down and include significant snow in descent. If the snow you're in starts to become sticky and moist you should avoid steep slopes and head to somewhere less steep or more shady.