Persistent Slabs
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Likely
- Größe
- 1–2
Triggering a large persistent slab avalanache is very likely today, especially in the eastern areas of the zone, such as around the Wood River Valley, where the snowpack is still shallow. The snow and rain over the past 24 hours has added additional load to the slabs while potentially weakened the interfaces with buried weak layers. Observers and professionals around the Wood River Valley continue to report frequent collapsing or whumpfing. These are clear signs that triggering one of these slides remains a real possibility. Persistent Slabs can release in surprising ways and break much wider than expected. You are most likely to trigger a dense, 2-4 foot thick avalanche where:
- The snowpack is less than about 4 feet thick—this is the case on many slopes surrounding the Wood River Valley. Relatively shallower spots may exist where the wind frequently blows.
- Any part of the slope you are on or connected to is steeper than about 35 degrees
- The slope faces the northern 2/3 of the compass
- A smaller wind slab or loose snow avalanche overloads the buried weak layers
You can view photos and details on recent Persistent Slab avalanches on Patterson Pk and Sun Mountain.
In the Soldier Mtns, it would take some bad luck to trigger a huge, 2-6 foot thick avalanche on weak layers that formed in January. But, the consequences would be devastating. You're most likely to trigger one of these beasts on very steep, NW-E facing, middle and upper elevation slopes. Slopes where the wind frequently blows have variable snowpack depths (deep and shallow) and a better chance of triggering these large avalanches.
