Aspect: Most likely on wind loaded aspects and features SW-S-SE-E.

Elevation: Mainly at and above treeline.

Strong NW winds over the last several days caused new wind slabs to build in the alpine. You will find a lot of variability out there, and loaded areas (especially below ridgelines and in couloirs/gullies) may have multiple feet of recent slabs with weak layers in between. If a wind slab is triggered there is still some potential for it to step down to deeper weak layers and cause a large avalanche.

Identify wind-drifted snow by looking for stiff or hollow surface snow, and looking for cracking, whumphing and blowing snow – treat these areas as highly suspect. You can find safer conditions in wind-protected areas with softer snow. 

Aspect: All aspects.

Elevation: All Elevations.

Cold weather will only serve to weaken buried layers. The persistent slab danger is not healing, it is standing by waiting for the right trigger. Don’t be the trigger!

Recent stress tests have unearthed layers of concern that have propagation propensity and the potential to step down into deeper layers of the snowpack.

Persistent avalanche problems are tricky. The question is: When will stress over-ride strength and cause a slab to fail?

• Cold temperatures Dec. 3-5 created weak snow at the surface that is buried in many places under a strong wind slab in the upper snowpack.
• Over a meter deep: old weak layers are buried and difficult to trigger but still reactive.
• Toward the very bottom: early season snowfalls and crusts linger and are very difficult to trigger but are still of concern.

It is still possible that any surface avalanches could step down to deeper weak layers, the October rain crust, or even the ground in alpine areas. 

• One of the best ways to reduce your exposure to deeper persistent weak layers would be to stick to areas of deeper snowpack (>1m deep). But be wary of hidden rocks that can act as trigger points, and thin areas around the margins of a slab.
• Manage the terrain by only exposing one person at a time to the hazard, use group up spots well out of harms way, and carry radios for communication.
• Look and listen for whumping, and other signs of instability. Report any natural avalanche activity on these deeper layers.