We now have two buried weak layers in our immature snowpack. One is a layer of facets located 1"-8" off the ground and the other is a buried surface weakness that formed during the early December high pressure and is just under the newest snow. The one near the ground is easy to see in snowpits and is the classic weak snow with strong snow over the top.

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The harder to find surface weakness is now buried 6"-12" under the most recent new snow and wind. This weak snow will be spotty as it may have been destroyed by high winds and warm temperatures before it was buried by the most recent storm snow.

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Many of our backcountry observations have included reports of collapsing, cracking, and whumpfing. These are all signs that the snowpack is adjusting and if you see/hear these signs, or see recent avalanche activity then back off and find a lower angle slope to travel on.

Photo (T) with the red arrow pointing to the thin gray line of buried surface hoar (surface weakness) from upper Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Strong southerly winds over the last few days have loaded slopes in mid and upper elevation terrain. The nature of the strong winds is that they can load slopes in odd patterns and may not always distribute snow equally across a slope. Look for areas of wind loading such as thick, pillowy drifts of snow and avoid those slopes. Some of the winds have loaded snow in gully features that may have thin weak snow underneath. These are the zones where you are more likely to trigger an avalanche.