In mid and upper-elevation terrain, look for smooth, rounded pillows of wind-drifted snow on the lee sides of ridges, sub-ridges, and other terrain features. These drifts often appear chalky, hollow, or textured compared to the surrounding snow. These lingering wind slabs can pack a punch and may break deeper and wider than expected, as seen with the Room of Doom avalanche above.

With an increase in northwest wind, be especially cautious of fresh drifts just off ridgelines and below cornices. Watch for cracking or collapsing in the snow around your skis, board, or sled - clear signs that the wind-drifted snow is unstable.

As the strong March sun hits the cold snow, expect a rapid transition from dry powder to damp and wet conditions. In steep solar terrain, wet loose avalanches could entrain a surprising amount of snow and run fast and far on the slick crusts beneath.

This time of year, the avalanche danger can rise quickly through the day, moving from LOW to MODERATE and even CONSIDERABLE as the snow surface warms. Once the snow becomes damp and you start seeing rollerballs or pinwheels forming, it’s a good sign the snowpack is losing strength. That’s your cue to move off steep south-facing slopes and head for cooler aspects or lower-angle terrain.

The Dry January Layer (DJL) of facets is now buried 2–4 feet deep beneath a hard slab of settled snow and crusts. Human-triggered avalanches failing on this layer have been quiet since February 26, and recent snowpit tests suggest it’s becoming stubborn to trigger. That said, this layer still has the potential to produce a large and dangerous avalanche if it does fail.

The most likely trigger points remain steep, shallow, rocky slopes at the upper elevations facing west through north through east. These thinner areas of the snowpack can allow a rider to punch through the slab and collapse the weak layer beneath. Stairs Gulch is a good example of the type of terrain where an avalanche could break deeper into the snowpack.