Persistent Slabs
- Alta montaña
- Límite del bosque
- Bajo el límite del bosque
- Probabilidad
- Possible
- Tamaño
- 2–3.5
Two weak layers of surface hoar and facets exist deeper in the snowpack.
Be cautious in areas where the surface snow feels heavy and cohesive.
Storm slabs are resting on a layer of facets and may be slow to bond. Reactivity may persist longer than usual.
Two weak layers of surface hoar and facets exist deeper in the snowpack.
New storm slabs have been building with continued snow and warm weather. They are resting on a weak layer of facets and in places surface hoar. This could mean they will be more reactive and slower to bond.
Basal facets remain a concern in steep, rocky alpine features with thin-to-thick snowpack transitions.
On Monday, a few natural, rider and remotely triggered avalanches were reported from size 1-2. They were all storm slabs and failed on a facet layer just below the most recent storm snow.
See one of the MIN reports here.
A natural storm slab cycle was also reported on Sunday up to size 2, on all aspects and elevations. All of them also failed on a weak layer of facets.
20 to 30 cm of surface snow is now resting on a variety of old snow surfaces including faceted snow, surface hoar and firm wind slabs in open terrain at treeline and above.
Down 60 to 80 cm a crust, facet, and/or surface hoar layer exists.
130+ cm down another surface hoar layer exists that was buried in early December. This seems to be of most concern above 2000 m where a robust crust doesn't exist above it, or in shallow snowpack areas.
Tuesday Night
Cloudy with up to 3 cm of snow, southwest alpine wind 10-40 km/h, treeline temperature around -2 °C.
Wednesday
Cloudy with flurries, southwest alpine wind 20-50 km/h, treeline temperature around -1 °C, freezing level 1400 m.
Thursday
Cloudy with up to 10 cm of snow, southwest alpine wind 20-40 km/h, treeline temperature around -1 °C, freezing level 1400 m.
Friday
Cloudy with flurries, south alpine wind 10-50 km/h, treeline temperature around -2 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.