Winds over the past week have blown around what little snow was available for transport and isolated drifts have formed on the leeward sides of ridge crests and terrain features in upper elevation, wind exposed terrain. Fresh drifts are mostly shallow and shouldn't pose too much of a hazard, but they could sweep you off your feet and carry you over a cliff. Wind drifts are recognizable by their smooth, rounded appearance, and cracking in the snow is a sign of instability. The best practice is to avoid steep slopes with wind drifted snow.

Generally speaking, the mountains have a deep, strong snowpack for this time of year without the typical layer of weak, sugary "faceted" snow at the base. In my travels on Friday, 13 however, I observed two weak layers that have formed in the upper 12"-18" of the snowpack. Though not overly reactive at this time, there is a possibility for triggering an avalanche on one of these buried weak layers on steep slopes facing NW-N-E, especially in areas that have overlying deposits of wind drifted snow. We will want to pay attention to these weak layers as new or wind drifted snow will add additional stress, increasing the likelihood of triggering an avalanche.