Our forecast area has received a trace of new snow at valley locations with 1-2 inches expected up high.  This is an insufficient amount of snow to affect the hazard.  The main avalanche problem continues to revolve around old wind slabs created at the beginning of the month.

There have been several reports of natural and human triggered wind slab avalanches less than one foot in depth directly following the 4/1 wind event.  The sensitivity of this layer has since decreased and the distribution of wind slabs that could be human triggered has moved from specific to isolated.  Human triggered avalanches remain possible less than 1 foot in depth in very steep wind exposed terrain at upper elevations.  Keep in mind that even small avalanches can have big consequences is steep and/or consequential terrain.  Pay attention to the depth and sensitivity of wind slabs in the area you choose to travel.

Persistent weak layers exist below the very hard snow that is the 3/17 interface as well.  These are unlikely to be affected by human triggers today.  Recent mild weather and a lack of recent snowfall has allowed the snowpack to gain strength.  These weak layers have the potential to reactivate later in the spring.  This potential will be dictated by future weather.

Wet loose activity will be limited today due to clouds keeping the solar aspects cooler.  Clouds during the first half of the day will limit the amount of time the suns energy can melt snow at the surface.  If the sun comes out this afternoon, the possibility to see wet loose activity will be increasing.  Todays activity is expected to be low volume and less widespread.

The size of the terrain being exposed will directly correlate to the size of natural activity that is possible.  Small slopes will likely only produce roller balls and low volume wet loose activity.  While large steep solar aspects have the potential of entraining significant amounts of snow and producing very dangerous, large wet loose avalanches.  Steep areas near rocks will be the first to warm up during the day.  Step downs to slab activity will become increasingly possible as the Spring moves on and the sun becomes more intense.  

Assesment and avoidance of this avalanche problem is relatively easy.  Pay attention to the amount of warmth that is being transferred into the snow surface (Is it becoming moist-wet?).  Avoid traveling on or being exposed to steep solar aspects where the surface snow is becoming moist-wet during the heat of the day.

Weak snow exists at the base of our snowpack.  This weak snow is currently unlikely to be affected due to the strength of old wind affected snow at the 3/17 new/old interface.  Depth hoar may become a concern later in the season if our area returns to a period of major snowfall and the very strong wind damaged layer at the new/old interface starts to break down and lose strength within the snowpack.  As very hard wind slabs break down within the snowpack a person or machines weight will have a more direct affect on weak layers at the bottom of the snowpack.  In addition,  the increasing intensity of the sun will be putting pressure on deep layers during the heat of the day.