Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Unlikely
- Size
- 2
Over the past few days, the wind has created pockets of wind-drifted snow, stiff wind slabs, on slopes plagued by weak, sugary facets in some exposed high terrain. People can trigger small hard slab avalanches of wind-drifted snow.
- Avoid and stay out from under stiffer pockets of recently drifted snow on steep slopes.
- Wind slabs may have formed or been cross-loaded in and around terrain features such as mid-slope roll-overs, gullies, under cliff bands, or sub-ridges.
- Suspect wind slabs are often chalky, rounded, and smooth, and they can sound hollow, like a drum. Shooting cracks and whumpfs or collapsing indicate instability.
Sunday, we encountered hard, wind-textured snow in exposed upper-elevation terrain. I unintentionally triggered a small wind slab on a cross-loaded slope, and other pockets of wind-drifted snow may be resting on weaker, faceted snow in lee areas and around terrain features.