Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1–1.5
What and where is it: Watch for fresh wind slabs formed from the 3-4 inches of snow that fell yesterday. The most likely places to find them are wind-sheltered, east and southeast-facing terrain, especially sheltered pockets, gullies, below rollovers, and other features that collect drifting snow. These slabs are sitting on top of the hard, icy, impenetrable snow surface left behind by previous days.
How can you recognize it: Look for smooth, rounded drifts deeper than your boot top. We do not expect these slabs to be large, but there is uncertainty about how well they bonded to the icy bed surface below. Thicker slabs may produce shooting cracks as a sign of instability.How can you manage it: Visually assess terrain before you commit to traveling through it. Look for active loading or recently formed wind slabs that will be smooth. Dig down and investigate how well the new snow is adhered to the bed surface and know that interface may change as you gain or lose elevation. Check this interface often with hand shears, and factor in the consequences of even a small slide in steep terrain.