Happy Spring Break! There is another day of sunshine on tap and the avalanche danger is LOW today. Wait for it…
LOW danger does not equal NO danger. We hope this doesn’t equate to people flocking to avalanche terrain with reckless abandon. Read the discussion below carefully to understand our buffet of normal caution avalanche concerns. Folks were out enjoying the snow over the weekend without incident. We think triggering a large avalanche is unlikely today but there is a slight chance of triggering a small avalanche, especially in complex or extreme terrain i.e. very steep unsupported slopes. Even the definition of LOW danger states “Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.” Please factor this into your travel plans today. As always use good travel protocol and watch for other parties in the same terrain.
Wind Slabs: Pay attention to any recent wind-loading and be aware of old hard wind slabs. Smooth pillowed snow on steep unsupported features or in rocky areas will be the most suspect places to initiate an old wind slab.
Dry and Wet Loose Snow Avalanches (Sluffs): Dry sluffs on steep slopes are probable and although small have been slowly gaining volume on shady slopes, as cold temperatures facet the surface snow. Keep terrain choices and potential consequences in mind when managing sluff. On sunny slopes, if crusts soften watch for roller balls and small wet loose avalanches both natural and human triggered, especially in steep rocky areas. If you see this start to happen and/or if the snow you are traveling on starts to get wet and mushy, move to a shadier slope.
Persistent Slabs: A couple layers of buried surface hoar and/or facets sit 1-3’ below the surface. Below 2000′ there is a melt-freeze crust just below a weak layer of snow. With the amount of time that has passed since these weak layers were buried and due to the lack of significant loading over the last month, these weak layers seem to be in a ‘dormant stage’. We haven’t had a reported avalanche in the forecast area on one of these layers in over a week and even those observed avalanches were small. Because of the uncertainty that comes with persistent weak layers in the snowpack although unlikely, a small avalanche breaking on one of these layers on a slope 35° or steeper, especially below 2000′, isn’t completely out of the question today.
Glide Avalanches: Glide cracks continue to slowly open. These may release at any time. Minimize exposure time spent under visible cracks.
Cornices: Cornices should always be given an extra wide berth if traveling along a corniced ridge. Like glide cracks, minimize your exposure time spent under these backcountry bombs.
An example of terrain to watch for wet loose activity today. The Library 3.7.21. Note the glide crack and cornice hazard as well.
Wind transport on the Pastoral ridge, 3.7.21. Watch for lingering wind slab pockets today in steep Alpine terrain.
Archives 
The Bottom Line
