Persistent Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Unlikely
- Größe
- 2
Up high and on slopes facing west, north, and east, avalanches failing on a persistent weak layer are possible in isolated outlying terrain where previously wind-drifted snow overlies weak, sugary snow from November. Dangerous hard slab avalanches are increasingly unlikely as the shallow, sugary snow from November is buried and pressed into terrain anchors by a deep layer of heavy, hardening snow.
- Unlikely avalanches failing on a persistent weak layer might still be triggered remotely, from a distance, or below.
- Cracking and collapsing (or whumpfs) are definite signs of instability, but they may not be present when avalanches occur.
On Tuesday, we found stable snow in most of the terrain we traveled in. However, we also found areas with poor snowpack structure and weak, sugary, faceted snow lurking near the ground.