Yesterday's west and northwest winds were able to find enough light density snow to blow around and whip into stiff drifts. While the vast majority of these relaxed overnight, I bet there's still a slab or two out there waiting for one of us to come along and test our stability theories. Found mostly on the leeward side of upper elevations ridges, I wouldn't be surprised to discover a rogue drift or two lurking in a steep chute or gully. While manageable in size and depth and breaking at or below your skis, board, or sled, remember that even a small slide can quickly get out of hand if it carries you over a cliff or slams you into a group of trees. I'd continue to look for and avoid any fat, rounded piece of snow, especially if it sounds hollow like a drum.

Looking into the future. The snowpack on slopes that slid big during the Solstice storm is shallow and weak and won't take much of a load before we see avalanches. With a stormy pattern on tap beginning late tonight and continuing through the early portion of the weekend, today provides a good opportunity to take a look at some of your favorite riding areas and make note of terrain that avalanched near the ground back in December and slopes that remained intact. This exercize gives you an advantage once it starts storming and you'll have a pretty good idea what slopes to avoid.

With bushes and grass poking through a couple inches of snow, it's pretty obvious this steep slope slid pretty big during the Solstice storm. (Scroggin photo)

Dave Kikkert provided these excellent images. Top photo is the questionable structure we're finding in terrain where the snowpack is shallow, particularly on slopes that avalanched big right before Christmas. Above is a closeup of the weak, sugary snow we're concerned with once it starts snowing again.

The snowpack is pretty comfortable in its own skin and deep, dangerous avalanches are getting harder to trigger. As a matter of fact, it's been a few weeks since we've heard of or seen any slides breaking to the ground. While this suggests our snowpack is turning the corner towards stability, I'd still continue to carefully evaluate steep, upper elevation terrain, especially if it faces the north half of the compass, and particularly if it's thin and rocky. Any slide that breaks to old snow is gonna be deep and wide, quickly ruining your day, if not your season.

(Meisenheimer photo)