Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1
Strong NE winds will transport snow away from previously wind-loaded N-NE-E aspects and create new wind slabs on the S-SW-W aspects and cross-loaded NW and SE aspects. These new wind slabs may be sensitive to human-triggering today and human-triggered wind slab avalanches will be possible. In addition to these newly formed wind slabs, some of yesterday's wind slabs may still linger on wind-loaded N-NE-E aspects and cross-loaded NW and SE aspects in areas that have not been scoured by the NE winds. In either case, these wind slabs exist on top of smooth icy surfaces and weak old snow. While many of these wind slabs should remain small and not extend very far away from ridgelines, some larger and deeper wind slabs could exist in the most heavily wind loaded areas or in areas that received the most new snow. Avalanches resulting from these wind slabs could involve enough snow to bury a person. The wind slabs should be denser and harder than yesterday's wind slabs. They could break above the person who triggers them or not fail until that person has already committed to the slope.
Use clues like blowing snow, hollow sounding snow, cornices above slopes, drifted snow, and other wind created textures to identify where wind slabs may exist and avoid traveling on or under steep slopes in those areas in favor of less exposed, less steep, more sheltered slopes where softer snow may reside.
