Persistent Slabs
- Alta montaña
- Límite del bosque
- Bajo el límite del bosque
- Probabilidad
- Likely
- Tamaño
- 2–3
We've made it through two days with no reported avalanches. Unfortunately, that is not long enough to call this avalanche cycle over. It is common for persistent slab avalanches to continue to occur during periods of calm weather and after days of no avalanches. The daily reports of snowpack collapses, whumphing noises, and unstable snowpit test results tell us that the instability is still out there.
The Dec 1 persistent weak layer remains most concerning on NW-N-NE aspects where it is buried under 1.5 to 4 feet of snow. Avalanches that have occurred on this weak layer have had a minimum size of D2, had wide propagation, wrapped around terrain features, and have been triggered from up to several hundred feet away.
At this point in the avalanche cycle, the most likely signs of unstable snow in your immediate area are collapsing of the snowpack with or without an audible whumphing noise and/or unstable snowpit test results. If you want to decrease your likelihood of becoming caught in an avalanche today: 1) Limit your travel only to slopes less than 30° in steepness without connected steeper terrain above or to the side. 2) Move through terrain anticipating that any avalanches triggered will be wider than expected and run longer downslope than expected. 3) Keep in mind that previous tracks on a slope are no indication of stability for this type of avalanche problem. I won't be surprised to hear about an avalanche that takes out previous tracks.
(12/6/2022)
Partially filled in avalanches on NE aspects of a peak between Silver Peak and Poulsen Peak. Pole Creek area, CA.
Photo: Andy Anderson