Snowfall has been slowly accumulating since 4/4 with 8-12+ inches likely at upper elevations.  An uptick in West – southwest winds yesterday afternoon will have redistributed new snow into a more cohesive slab in areas exposed to wind such as high elevation ridge lines and wind channeled terrain.  The sensitivity of new snow will be higher in areas where wind has created stiffer slabs.  Human triggered avalanches will also be possible in areas unaffected by wind in specific locations such as convex terrain.

Pay attention to new snow depth, wind distribution patterns, and test the sensitivity of new snow using small inconsequential test slopes and hand shear tests.  The new snow will need time to bond with the underlying snowpack.  Careful snowpack assesment and cautious route finding will be important for safe travel in avalanche terrain today.

Wet loose activity is likely today.  New snow will easily be affected by the strong April sun.  Expect for steep solar aspects to have natural wet loose activity.  East aspects will be the first to be affected moving to south and then finally west.  Clouds are forecasted to roll in later in the day which could limit the amount of activity that we see today.  

The spring shed has been minimal so far this year at mid and upper elevations.  Activity is forecasted to increase in the coming days as warmer temps move into upper elevations and new snow continues to slowly accumulate.  

Timing is key in avoidance of this avalanche problem.  Pay attention to the amount of warmth that is being transferred into the snow surface (Is it becoming moist-wet?).  In general, it is recommended to avoid traveling on or being exposed to steep solar aspects, especially during the heat of the day.

Persistent weak layers in our snowpack have been dormant in our forecast area for ~10 days.  The new snow we are currently receiving is unlikely to tip this balance.  There is the potential for weak layers in our mid snowpack to reactivate later in the spring as solar radiation becomes more intense or if we enter a period where heavy precipitation returns.  At the present instabilities are concentrated near the surface and triggering a persistent slab avalanche is unlikely.

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 returns to a period of 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.