Turns out there was plenty of new snow available for transport and yesterday I observed lots of blowing and drifting of the new snow, even at lower elevations. At upper elevations, expect to find deep drifts up to 2' deep. Most drifting has occurred on slopes facing the north side of the compass, but with the strong and gusty nature of the winds, you may find areas of unstable wind drifted snow on all aspects. Wind drifts are recognizable by their smooth, rounded, or rippled appearance, and cracking is a sign of instability. In areas where the underlying snowpack is shallow and weak, a triggered wind slab may step down to a buried persistent weak layer causing a deeper and more dangerous avalanche. Avoid steep, wind drifted slopes today.

We've been seeing some cracks develop in our generally strong snowpack, particularly in our mid-elevation band just below treeline. In these areas, the snowpack is shallower, between 3'-4' deep, and layers of weak faceted snow are beginning to develop. This storm, with an inch of water weight, is the second incremental test of these buried weak layers. Add drifting and the load may be significant enough for a skier or rider to trigger a deeper and more dangerous avalanche. Avoid steep, wind drifted slopes, especially in areas where you suspect the underlying snowpack is shallow and weak.

We've also been tracking a reactive weak layer on SE-S facing slopes. I'm hoping the warm temps over the weekend have helped put an end to this concern but until I get eyes on it myself, I can't be certain.