Storm Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1
Heads Up: The slopes that we will want to ride, are the slopes that held any snow prior to this storm system. The issue is, these slopes are exactly the ones where the snow surface has become weak and faceted, and the new snow likely won’t bond well too.
For this same reason, the new snow should easily sluff and produce small loose snow avalanches, especially during any periods of higher snowfall rates. What I'm uncertain about is whether or not the new snow will bond to itself and act as a cohesive slab. The good news is that this new snow should show you obvious signs of instability like collapsing, whumpfing, and shooting cracks. Look for these signs, and if you see them, this is your sign that the new snow has become cohesive and will produce a slab avalanche. Overall, there is a lot of variability in snow surfaces throughout the backcountry right now. Some slopes hold old weak faceted snow of the surface, some slopes have a breakable crust, and some slopes possess only dirt. What this means is that while avalanches may not be widespread over the next few days, with the increase in snow and winds, we have all the ingredients for avalanches and we will begin to see them occurring.