Olympics

Earlier in the week, the snowpack was giving off flashing signs of instability, with NPS staff experiencing collapses and whumpfing in terrain near ridgelines.  After several days without a new avalanche, but with the same snowpack structure, we've entered an uncomfortable space where triggering a persistent slab avalanche has become less likely, but the consequences are still severe.  A few reports from the Hurricane area on Saturday said backcountry travellers felt uncomfortable with the snowpack on more committing northerly aspects and turned around.  Sometimes that's worth more than a snowpack test.  

Continue treating all open steep slopes on shady aspects as suspect until proven otherwise. If you experience any collapsing or whumpfing, remotely trigger avalanches, or see other signs of instability, retreat to simpler terrain.  Don't be lured into more consequential terrain by the nice weather, stick to shaded, wind-sheltered terrain and slopes under 35 degrees.  

Well-identified weak layers (buried surface hoar and or/facets) are down about 2' at mid-elevations and found just above a prominent crust (2/13) in the upper snowpack.  This layering is most likely to be found on shady aspects at mid and upper-elevations, even right below ridgelines.  

Persistent slabs are notorious for surprising backcountry travelers; they break more widely across the slope and can be triggered from lower-angle terrain than run-of-the-mill storm slab avalanches.  Dig and look for the buried surface hoar/facets above the 2/13 crust to help rule out slopes, and consider using snowpack tests to gain more information, but do not use results to deem a suspect slope "safe" or not. 

A mild Saturday night followed by a mostly sunny Sunday should lead to surface crusts breaking down quickly on Sunday.  Wet loose avalanches won't be an issue on slopes exposed to strong west winds that have firm textured surfaces.  

Rollerballs, pinwheels, and wet sluffs fanning out below your feet or machine are obvious clues that the snow surface is becoming wet and weak. In isolated areas, these wet loose avalanches could grow large if they run far and entrain weaker wet snow below.   Avoid travel above or below terrain traps where wet loose avalanches may release.  You can always move to shadier aspects without exposure as the warming commences.  Give cornices a large berth when travelling along ridgelines.