Avy-savvy, snow-pro extraordinaire Andy Nassetta demonstrates his extended column test (ECT). Andy's results (ECTP 16) suggest it's getting more difficult to trigger a slide, but the column fails about 30 cm above the ground, echoing our concerns that once triggered, avalanches can break to old November, producing a bigger slide than you might've bargained for.

The good news is... the snowpack is adjusting to last weeks big storm and in general, becoming comfortable in its own skin. The not so good news is, we have a structurally challenged snowpack... strong snow resting on weak snow and that's always a tricky setup. But, there's no secret handshake here and if we get our shovels out and take a deeper dive it's clear to see a cohesive piece of snow or what we in snow-geek-speak call a slab, resting on top a persistent weak layer (PWL), about a foot off the ground. We've got plenty of choices and there's miles of terrain to ride safely today. In fact, I think you'd really have to go hunting for an avalanche and all the right players need to align. If your travels take you into alpine terrain, steep, rocky, wind drifted slopes in the wind zone feels like the right cast of characters that could come into play and throw a wrench in your day.