Wind Slabs
- Alta montaña
- Límite del bosque
- Bajo el límite del bosque
- Probabilidad
- Possible
- Tamaño
- 1–1.5
A storm is forecasted to bring 6-8" of snow and moderate to strong winds overnight. Instabilities will likely peak early morning before snowfall rates and wind decreases. You may find wind slabs a foot or deeper in the new snow, where it could be possible for you to trigger a small or mid-size avalanche. If more snow falls or wind redistribution occurs than expected, avalanche danger could be higher than forecasted.
Search for newly drifted snow in the usual suspect locations like on the leeward sides of ridgelines, in gullies and around rocky outcroppings. Drifts could appear as smooth pillows or textured surfaces, and feel slightly stiffer than nearby non wind-affected surfaces. If you experience long cracks shooting out from under you, that's an indicator of weakness in the new snow layer, and one of the best clues to avoid nearby steep slopes. Friday's an excellent day for checking how well the new and old snow layers are bonded by using hand shears. Small test slopes are also a good way to test for shallow wind slabs. In areas that you find wind slabs or see other indicators of weak snow, steer around slopes greater than 35 degrees.