Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Unlikely
- Größe
- 1
You are more likely to encounter wind slabs on Friday than Thursday as 2-4" of cold snow accumulates on top of the slick 4/4 crust. Increasing moderate winds at middle and upper elevations will drift that snow, forming shallow slabs that you can trigger fairly easily. Cracking within wind-stiffened snow can alert you to the problem, and simple hand shears can tell you whether the snow will likely release on the crust. Active or recent signs of blowing snow can also alert you that you're entering terrain where you might find shallow wind slabs. You can probe the new snow to determine whether drifts may be forming 6" or deeper, at this point, these wind slabs may be large enough to harm you in isolated areas. Areas of concern include the lee of ridgelines and extreme terrain features where a small avalanche could push you over a cliff or into unfriendly terrain. You will find a slick crust on windward slopes stripped of new snow. Ensure you have the tools to arrest a fall before crossing steep icy slopes.
Example: Iisolated, reactive pockets of wind-drifted snow above treeline.
Photo: Joe Dellaporta