Settled storm totals over the past week range from 12" in the Northern Whitefish Range to 10" in the Swan Range to 5" in the far eastern edge of the Flathead/GNP.  This snow accumulated over a thick, strong crust from our Thanksgiving rain event.  Over the weekend, observers in Jewel Basin, Spider Bowl, and at Big Mountain reported few signs of instability in wind protected areas,  thanks to gradual loading over non-persistent weak layers.  We can expect generally stable conditions to carry through the rest of the week under stagnant high pressure.  The lurking exceptions are those high elevation, wind loaded slopes that may need a little more time to adjust. Keep an eye for fresh drifting if winds exceed forecasted levels. If you are traveling in consequential terrain, it is also worth monitoring very steep, sun-baked slopes for the threat of small, wet loose avalanches as the combination of solar input and warming temperatures may be enough to tip the scales.  Look for rollerballs on sunny slopes to identify decreasing stability (such as this observation).

Thanks to everyone who submitted observations this weekend!  We will start daily avalanche advisories and danger ratings next weekend.