North winds on 3/25 were widespread with significant snow transport at mid and upper elevations .  Wind slabs less than 1 foot in depth were found to be reactive to human triggers on the lee side of terrain features.  These new slabs were still fairly soft with limited propagation occurring.  Wind slabs will set up today and become harder which will will increase the distance that slabs can propagate.  Sensitivity is expected to remain reactive today with human triggers likely up to one foot deep in specific areas.  These include lee side of terrain features and ridge lines, cross loaded gullies and convex terrain.  Watch for signs of instability such as shooting cracks, collapsing or natural avalanche activity that would indicate unstable snow.

Winds are forecasted to diminish today.  This will allow slabs to settle and slowly gain strength.  

 Wind slabs that build yesterday have added stress to the 2-3 feet of snow delivered by the Hamilton storm (3/17).  Wind slabs may be able to step down to some of these deeper layers in isolated locations.  Strong wind affected snow still exists at the 3/17 interface, although has been observed to be breaking down at mid elevation in some locations.  This will increase the potential for a person or machines weight to stress deeper layers in our snowpack.  

In areas that were more protected from late February-early March north winds, the 3/17 interface consists of near surface facets.  This difference in interface is important to identify.

 The possibility still remains of human triggered avalanches up to 4 feet deep in areas where facets are present at the 3/17  interface or where the Hamilton slab is deeper than 3 feet.  This scenario is becoming less likely but can not be ruled out.  These conditions are not as likely to be found within our forecast zone but have been reported in areas to the southeast of Thompson Pass that received higher storm totals, and in more continental locations where the underlying snowpack is weaker.  Use caution in steep terrain that is being actively loaded by wind.  This avalanche problem is a low probability high consequence scenario.

 Ski pole probing and digging snowpits are good ways to identify what type of interface the recent new snow is sitting on.  The 3/17 interface continues to be a low friction potential bed surface.  There is uncertainty if this will become an issue as we receive more snowfall and/or heat is able to heat penetrates further into the snowpack in the future.

Other persistent weak layers exist in our mid to lower snowpack.  These are currently unlikely to be affected where very strong wind affected snow exists at the 3/17 interface.

Diminishing winds and strong sun will once again allow solar aspects to heat up during the day and lose strength. South and west aspects below 4000′ will have the potential to produce natural wet loose activity during the heat of the day.  Strong winds on 3/25 has redistributed and pressed a lot of the soft snow in our area, this will limit the amount of wet loose activity that occurs today.  Avoid steep terrain where the surface snow is becoming moist to wet during the heat of the day

Weak snow exists at the base of our snowpack.  This weak snow is currently unlikely to be affected due to the strength of old wind affected snow at the 3/17 new/old interface.  Depth hoar may become a concern later in the season if our area continues to see major snowfall and the very strong wind damaged layer at the new/old interface starts to break down and lose strength within the snowpack.  As very hard wind slabs break down within the snowpack a person or machines weight will have a more direct affect on weak layers at the bottom of the snowpack.  In addition,  the increasing intensity of the sun will be putting pressure on deep layers during the heat of the day.