Avalanche conditions are dangerous in the backcountry, as preexisting layers of very weak snow are overloaded by very heavy snowfall and drifting. The heavy new snow is overloading a poor snowpack structure, with asugary weak layer now buried 2 to 3 feet deep, and the avalanches it can produce are large, destructive, and deadly.

• Natural avalanches failing on the widespread PWL are fairly likely today, and they could be large and destructive and run far.
• Large, dangerous, and deadly avalanches can be triggered remotely (from a distance or below).
• Audible collapsing or whumpfs and shooting cracks indicate unstable snow, but may not always be present.

This video shows an extended column test from yesterday in the Northern Bear River Range

Fresh drifts and soft slabs of wind-drifted storm snow will continue forming in lee terrain and in and around exposed terrain features at upper elevations. Fresh drifts will further overload previously formed wind slabs, increasing potential for dangerous hard slab avalanches failing on the persistent weak layer formed in January.

• Slabs of wind-drifted snow will form in and around terrain features like starting zones, sub-ridges, rock outcroppings, gullies, and mid-slope rollovers.
• Wind slabs of stiffer, drifted snow are rounded and smooth-looking, and they often sound hollow, like a drum.
• Beware if you cause cracking in stiffer drifted snow. Collapsing or whumpfing is a major indicator of instability.
• Small wind slab avalanches overrunning a slope with poor snow structure could cause a larger avalanche to occur.
• Even small avalanches can be quite dangerous if you are carried into trees or other terrain traps below.

Loose wet and wet slab avalanches are likely on steep slopes with rain-saturated snow. Avalanches failing on the PWL could entrain saturated snow in descent and become large and dangerous.