Continued snow and wind is thickening recently-formed slabs that buried a variety of weak layers and crusts. Slabs will be thickest below ridgelines and on cross-loaded slopes. Natural and skier triggered avalanches in Canyon Creek Sunday confirm instability where the recent snow buried surface hoar that formed in mid January. Evaluate new snow totals, bonding with the underlying layers and look for blowing snow.

Recent snow formed slabs on weak layers and crusts adding to their instability. Skiers triggered several avalanches on these fragile layers Friday at middle elevations. Today we expect slabs to remain reactive to human triggering with an incoming storm thickening existing slabs. Evaluate new snow totals and bonding with the underlying layers.

Winds continue to form fresh slabs below ridgelines and on cross-loaded slopes. An incoming storm will thicken existing slabs while drifting snow onto atypical aspects.  Slabs are forming on weak layers and crusts adding to their instability. As you gain elevation evaluate new snow totals, bonding with the underlying layers and look for blowing snow.

A Special Avalanche Bulletin remains in effect until this evening. Wind and new snow continue to build sensitive drifts in exposed terrain. On sheltered slopes, it is possible to trigger soft storm slabs that lay over weak layers and crusts. Travelling in avalanche terrain today requires careful snowpack evaluation and conservative decision making. Watch for blowing snow on steep open slopes. Shooting cracks are an obvious sign of instability.

A Special Avalanche Bulletin is in effect until Saturday evening. New snow and shifting winds are overloading fragile weak layers. You will likely trigger avalanches today where winds have created denser drifts, and where new snow is the deepest. Cafeful snowpack evaluation and conservative decision making are required to travel in avalanche terrain today. Shooting cracks and fresh avalanche activity are red flags.

A Special Avalanche Bulletin is in effect until Saturday evening. New snow is overloading fragile weak layers and crusts to create dangerous avalanche conditions. Natural and human triggered avalanches will be common, especially where weak layers are most prevalent at mid-elevations. Avoid traveling on or below terrain steeper than about 30 degrees.

An AVALANCHE WATCH is in effect.  Very dangerous avalanche conditions are expected to develop by Friday or Saturday.  Today, monitor storm totals and watch for easily triggered but small avalanches breaking in the new snow and running on slick crusts.  Use caution around terrain traps and near wind drifted ridgelines.

Avalanche activity has dwindled since last week and the snowpack is generally stable.   Be cautious of high elevation slopes with thin or variable snow coverage, especially below cornices.  

Avalanche activity is dwindling since last week and the snowpack is stabilizing.   Be cautious of high elevation slopes with thin or variable snow coverage, especially below cornices: this is the type of terrain where you might still encounter lingering persistent slab instabilities that will break in a large and dangerous way. 

Mild weather has allowed the snowpack to slowly strengthen. It's also provided a window of great travel and riding conditions up high. That window is closing faster than the danger is diminishing, so continue to pick your routes up to alpine terrain and down exposed slopes carefully. Minimize the consequences of triggered slides by exposing one rider at a time and picking lines that aren't above terrain traps like cliffs, gullies and trees. 

Sunny skies, mild temperatures, and light winds make it a great time to ride up high. As do generally stable conditions. That's "generally," not "totally." On isolated slopes near ridges and peaks, you can still trigger dangerous avalanches. Ride safe by riding one at a time, keeping eyes on your partners, having escape routes, and carrying avalanche rescue gear. 

Recent observations from this zone clearly indicate that it's still possible to trigger a large, dangerous avalanche at upper elevations. Not every steep slope, but enough to warrant careful travel. Several parties have reported backing off planned objectives in the past few days. Pick ascent routes that minimize your time below steep start zones, even those high above you. On your descents, choose lines that steer around likely trigger points and away from potential terrain traps. 

The mountains will bask in warm and sunny conditions above the valley clouds. While the fair weather helps our snowpack strengthen, reports of collapsing and propagation confirm that we still have a Persistent Slab avalanche problem at upper elevations.  Terrain selection remains the solution to this complex problem. Planar slopes with a deep uniform snow cover are a better choice than steep rocky areas harboring a variable snowpack depth. 

A strengthening inversion will offer sunshine and mild temperatures above the valley cloud deck. The snow surface is generally stable but we are still concerned about deeply buried weak layers.  Choosing terrain with planar slopes and deep uniform snow cover is the best way to manage this problem. Areas with a rocky variable snowpack should be viewed with suspicion.