Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1–1.5
An intense midday burst of snowfall accompanied by moderate to strong winds will slightly increase the avalanche danger. You are most likely to find drifts and trigger avalanches that are about 6 inches, or maybe a little deeper in some areas. These drifts will probably present in small pockets surrounded by wind-stripped snow. If you're near a terrain trap the consequence of being caught in an avalanche could be very harmful, however many of the avalanches produced from this storm will probably be small. If you notice larger drifts that are easy to trigger, be prepared to reevaluate conditions and take a more conservative approach.
Pay attention to actively drifting snow, and note where the wind is depositing it. These areas of deposition are locations to avoid if they're on steep slopes. Bullseye clues like long shooting cracks and recent avalanches are in-your-face hints to steer around steep slopes. Expect to find wind slabs in locations beneath ridgelines, around rock outcroppings, in gullies, and on convex rolls. If you're near these features stay on high alert and keep a backup plan in mind as a quick escape from the area. On Friday in neighboring zones observers found a potential weak interface, or low-density snow, at the surface, which may mean avalanches in the new snow could fail easily on the underlying layer, something to keep in mind while you're out. When in doubt, avoid slopes greater than 35 degrees.
Shallow wind slab avalanches on rollovers, similar to what you might see on Saturday. Photo: Peter Sundberg