Persistent Slabs
- Alta montaña
- Límite del bosque
- Bajo el límite del bosque
- Probabilidad
- Likely
- Tamaño
- 2.5–3
People triggered whumpfs and collapses in the Carson Range on the buried persistent weak layers yesterday. On the Sierra Crest, tests targeting these layers continued to produce unstable results. Even though yesterday's storm produced less snow than forecast, it still added enough new load on top of the old buried weak layers to make triggering a persistent slab avalanche more likely today. People could trigger persistent slab avalanches remotely while traveling in lower-angle terrain near or below steeper terrain. These avalanches could also break wider than expected. More snow will exist above the weak layers in wind-loaded areas, allowing for larger avalanches. A storm starting tonight will add even more load on top of these weak layers and could result in larger, more widespread avalanche activity tonight and tomorrow.
Snowpack collapse, cracking, and whumpfing indicate an unstable snowpack. Sometimes, persistent slab avalanches occur on slopes without obvious clues, especially if you hit a trigger point where the weak layer is closer to the surface or where the overlying slab is thin. This scenario may even play out on a slope with tracks on it. Using low-angle, non-avalanche terrain not connected to steeper areas above or beside can help reduce your chances of triggering an unexpected and dangerous persistent slab avalanche.
(1/15/2024)
Large natural avalanche between Lincoln and Anderson Peak-thought to have occurred on Sat Jan 13. See the size of the crown relative to the people. These kind of avalanches could occur today and will become more likely as more load piles up during the next few days.
