Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–1.5
Very little snow has fallen here in recent days. The winds are trying to make up for that. Strong winds are blowing on top of Baldy, and extreme winds are blowing in the Soldier Mountains. As of 5 AM, our Peak 2 weather station has recorded gusts in the 90s MPH for 9 of the past 10 hours. There is not a lot of snow available for transport in this zone, but you can bet that these winds are finding whatever there is and moving it around. Look for small, stiff, hard drifts near ridgelines and along mid-slope features like gullies and ribs that slow the wind down. Though not large enough to bury you, these slabs can knock you off your feet and send you downslope. Consider the consequences of being swept off your feet and carried through the terrain you are in. Small slabs can carry high consequences if they drag you through trees or over rock bands.
In areas sheltered from the wind, thick stacks of very weak facets developed during the drought of the past month. Triggering a loose snow avalanche involving these weak facets is a possibility on shaded slopes approaching about 40 degrees.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION: On the western side of this zone (Dollarhide and west to the Soldiers), weak layers are buried in the upper 1-2 feet of the snowpack. These layers have largely become unreactive, thanks to an extended period without significant loading. If you are unlucky enough to find the "sweet spot" where these layers remain reactive you'll almost certainly be in rocky, wind-affected terrain steeper than about 35 degrees where recent drifting has added weight to these layers. These layers appear to be worse on slopes that directly face the sun where crusts+facets are buried.