Wind Slabs
- Alta montaña
- Límite del bosque
- Bajo el límite del bosque
- Probabilidad
- Likely
- Tamaño
- 1–2
On Saturday, I found wind slabs to be easy to trigger on small test slopes on east and northeast aspects at upper elevations where the wind was moving snow around and creating drifts. On other similar nearby slopes, I could not get anything to trigger. That is the tricky nature of wind slabs; some slopes are reactive while others are not.
I observed blowing snow in wind exposed areas throughout the day and wind slabs will continue to build. Keep this problem in mind for Sunday and remember you can avoid wind slabs by sticking to more wind sheltered areas or by riding on low angle terrain less than 30 degrees steep.
Wind slabs on top of old weak snow layers (sugary faceted snow) may break out wider and run farther that usual.
Wind slabs can build anywhere there is blowing snow.....keep an eye on those open clearings around lava flows and sparse trees even at low elevations where wind drifted snow can accumulate.
(2/1/2025)
Very small skier triggered avalanche on an east facing slope at 7840'. This slope was accumulating blowing snow coming through the sparse trees. It was a small slope and therefore a small avalanche. Bigger slopes have the potential for much larger wind slab avalanches.
Photo: Aaron Hartz