Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 2
Recent winds built stiffer slabs on weak surface snow consisting of small-grained faceted snow and perhaps surface hoar. There are also areas where deeper buried persistent weak layers are present. Last night and this morning the winds are out of the northwest and plenty strong enough to drift the several inches light new snow into soft and harder wind slabs. I found drifts and plenty of loose sugary snow as well as crusts at lower elevations in Blacksmith Fork Canyon yesterday, but more snow accumulated at higher elevations and sustained winds from the northwest mean that avalanches will be larger and more likely at upper elevations and on easterly facing lee slopes.
- Fresh wind slabs having formed on weak surface snow are likely to be pretty sensitive to human triggers, and some avalanches today might be remotely triggered, from a distance.
- Avoid corniced slopes and stiffer drifts on steep slopes near ridges and in and around terrain features like cliff bands, sub-ridges, mid-slope break-overs, and gully walls.
- The fresh drifts are pretty obvious today but don't be fooled into trusting them, and fresh powder today could hide some of the older drifts. Some formed on weak surface snow and could be quite sensitive, while other's (harder wind slabs) may allow a person to get well out on them before releasing like a mouse trap.
- The good news is that refreshed shallow powder riding conditions are excellent in lower angled, lower elevation, and sheltered terrain.