On a north aspect on Flattop Mountain in the Selkirks we found a faceted weak layer under the recently forme surface crust.  The weak layer was formed during snowfall that occurred on New Years Eve.  What is tricky about this layer is that it is covered by the breakable surface crust but it overlies the thicker heavy rain crust, which on the north aspect at 6,000 feet was 3 inches thick.  Shears came easy on this layer and the sequence of how it is sandwiched between two ice crusts has it difficult to read how reactive it really is.  Best to leave it alone on steep, exposed terrain. Although it was the best snow we found, it's not worth the risk.  New snow will be loading on the surface crust and will be our next avalanche problem.

Wind loaded snow on a surface crust will become our next avalanche problem. The crust is everywhere, at all elevations on all aspects.  It is thickest at lower elevations and continues to be solid up to the peaks on southerly aspects. As you wrap around to the northerly side the crust gets breakable but it is still there. Our new snow from last night and into this week will be loading on this crust. Temperatures with the storm were cold so expect a poor bond of the new snow to the crust. Winds will be pushing the snow around so be looking for unstable pockets of drifted snow.