Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1
E and NE winds have varied greatly by location since they started on Sunday night. In some areas, they have likely scoured previously wind-loaded N-NE-E aspects and redeposited the previous wind slabs onto the opposite aspects. Expect to find new wind slabs on W-SW-S aspects and on cross-loaded NW and SE aspects. These new wind slabs should remain limited to specific areas in near and above treeline terrain near ridgelines where the strongest NE winds have occurred. In areas where weaker NE winds occurred, some of the wind slabs that formed during the storm on the near and above treeline NW-N-NE-E-SE aspects may still linger. The possibility remains for the additional weight of a person on wind-loaded slopes to trigger new or old wind slabs today in some areas.
Use clues like blowing snow, cornices above slopes, drifted snow, ripples in the snow surface, and other wind created textures to identify where wind slabs may exist and avoid those areas. Travelling in sheltered non-wind-affected terrain should provide safer and more enjoyable conditions today.