Today it will remain possible to trigger small wind slabs up to one foot in depth in steep terrain near ridge lines and in cross loaded gullies.  Stability tests have recently shown sensitive snow within the top 4-8 inches of the snowpack.  This has only been found to be a concern were it is capped by stiffer wind slabs.  Without a wind slab, there is no slab present within this top layer of snow.

Shallow wind slabs will slowly be gaining strength, although it will still be wise to pay attention to their depth and sensitivity in the area that you choose to travel.  In areas unaffected by wind, stable conditions continue to be observed and reported in all of our forecast zones.  The exception would have been yesterday near the coast on solar aspects where a significant amount of wet loose activity occurred.  This activity is not expected to continue today.  Low elevation coastal solar aspects will have a melt freeze crust in place  that has added strength to the surface and overcast skies will limit the suns’ affect.

Continued light incremental snowfall has put additional stress on a decomposing rain crust that exists below 2500′ that has recently showed signs of instability near the coast.  This layer exists in all three forecast zones but has only been found to be a concern in the Maritime zone,  this includes Keystone Canyon.  This rain crust has lost strength since it has formed and has created a weak layer.  It will be possible for the 1/25 rain crust to act as a failure plane in steep terrain at low elevations in the maritime climate zone.  Unsupported terrain will be the most suspect.

Watch for signs of instability such as shooting cracks and collapsing.  Digging snowpits to assess stability in the area you choose to travel is a good idea if choosing to travel in steep terrain at low elevations in the Maritime climate zone.

Weak snow continues to exist near the base of our snowpack in all three climate zones.    The last recorded avalanche activity at this layer occurred during the 1/23-25 storm on Nicks Buttress / ~3500’/ north aspect (see avalanche activity section).    This layer is believed to be dormant as there has not been deep avalanche activity for 3 weeks, and only 2 observed in 2 months.   Human triggered avalanches are currently unlikely to occur that fail on weak snow near the base of our snowpack.

Faceted snow near the ground has been found to vary significantly from place to place.  In most locations this snow has been found to be rounding (gaining strength) and unreactive in stability tests.  In thin areas of the snowpack these facets are significantly more developed.  Unlikely does not mean impossible,  if a person were to affect weak snow near the ground it would be in areas where the snowpack is thin.

If you find it is possible to push a ski pole to the ground in areas you travel.  Assume that a weak faceted snowpack exists in that location, that could act as a trigger point.  An example of the difference in faceted snow that has been recently found can be seen below.

Depth hoar from Nicks Buttress ~4000′ North aspect 1/31. This was from an area where the snowpack 3 feet deep.

Rounding depth hoar on Cracked Ice / north aspect/ 3000′  on 2/11.  This was from an area where the snowpack was 7 feet deep