Persistent Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 2
My co-worker Brett Kobernik stated it perfectly the other day when he wrote, “These persistent weak layers have really lived up to their name this year as they have persisted since early in the winter. All you can do is avoid steep terrain until we are satisfied that these layers have gained enough strength. We aren't there yet.”
Unfortunately, we have to continue to exercise patience and make careful terrain choices while we wait for this problem to go away. Poor snowpack structure is widespread, and stability tests continue to produce poor results. Steep northerly slopes near treeline are the bullseye for this problem. You are unlikely to see in your face red flag indicators today like collapsing and cracking, but deep, destructive, and deadly human-triggered avalanches remain a real possibility.
The PWL remains active on west-facing slopes, but the avalanche problem is specific to slopes with a relatively deep and layered snowpack. Some west aspects are very thin due to warm temperatures, sun, and wind. These slopes do not pose much of a threat. The only way to know is to probe for depth and dig down to look for weak layers.
