Old wind slabs: The old, harder wind drifts are now hidden beneath the new snow, and are more stubborn, likely to break above you or on the second or third person. It maybe possible to trigger these drifts from a distance or from below.

New wind slabs: New drifts formed overnight as the westerly winds blew the new snow. Winds are forecast to increase this afternoon, with plenty of snow to drift into new sensitive wind slabs. Watch for plumes off the high peaks and blowing snow where you are. Once the snow start to move, the avalanche danger will rise. The sensitive new wind drifts will deepen and become more widespread. Time to dial it back and get off of and out from under any wind drifted slopes. Plan your back country day with a good exit.

Cornices are HUGE! And they are breaking back much further than expected. However far you think you need to be back from the edge, then take an extra several steps even further back.

With back to back big storms and wind, deep slides can still break near the ground and I can’t wish them away. I expect a few of these monsters to be triggered every day as long as the storms keep rolling in. It will probably take larger triggers, like explosives, big cornice failures or multiple people on a slope. But in isolated places, a person entering a slab from a thinner edge could trigger a deadly slide. Shallower snow pack areas - such as steep, rocky slopes, wind scoured areas that have never developed a deeper snow pack, and especially repeater slopes that have avalanched earlier this season are most suspect. With so many days of snow and wind, avoiding steep big slopes and bowls til we get a longer break in the weather.