Wind Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 2
Yesterday winds remained strong enough to drift snow throughout the day, with gusts above 40 mph at the highest of ridgelines. Today these drifts will be most widespread on north through east and south-facing slopes, especially at the uppermost elevations. However, high winds can deposit snow around terrain features on almost any aspect, called cross-loading. For this reason, I would expect to find sensitive slabs of wind drifted snow at all upper slopes, and north, east and south-facing mid-elevation slopes, especially along with terrain features such as ridgelines, sub ridges, and gullies.
Today continue to look for slopes with any signs of wind drifted snow, such as cracking, hollow noises, and pillow-shaped snow and avoiding those slopes.
A photo from the Central Wasatch, on S. Monitor bowl yesterday that represents the type of avalanches likely triggered near ridgelines yesterday and today. (Photo: M. White)
Cornice: Many ridgelines now have large and overhanging cornices. With yesterday's strong winds at the uppermost ridgelines, I would expect to see the cornices to have grown. As you travel along ridgelines be sure to give cornices a wide berth as they typically break much further back than expected.