Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1–2
Today's new snow amounts should remain too small to form new wind slabs. However, hard slabs of wind drifted snow still exist on slopes loaded by the intense NE winds from earlier this week. These mostly formed on the NW-W-SW-S-SE aspects in near and above treeline terrain. The N-NE-E aspects hold very scoured surfaces. Triggering one of the stubborn hard slabs has become more difficult, but if they do fail they could break above the person who triggers them. These wind slabs may be easier to trigger where the hard slab is thinner or in more complex terrain like couloirs, hanging snowfields, cliffy areas, unsupported slopes, and steep convex rollovers.
Smooth areas of drifted snow, firm hollow-sounding snow, ripples on the snow surface, and other wind-created features can all help identify where these hard wind slabs may exist. The variability in thickness, strength, and distribution of these hard slabs makes evaluating them challenging. Avoiding wind-loaded slopes in favor of more sheltered slopes can reduce potential exposure to the wind slab problem.