Persistent Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Likely
- Größe
- 2
A persistent weak layer of sugary, faceted snow sits beneath a slab 1'-2' thick. New and wind drifted snow now sits on top of this slab adding more stress to the buried weak layer. Human triggered avalanches failing on this weak layer are likely, primarily on steep slopes facing NW-N-NE-E but W facing slopes are also suspect.
This video was shot in the La Sals on Saturday, March 5. The Abajos don't have as much snow on top, but they do have the weak, faceted layer underneath. This video is a good demonstration of how it is easy to find this weak layer of sugary snow. You'll want to avoid any steep slopes that harbor this layer.