Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Since Thursday's 4-6" of new snow, N-NW winds have been blowing fairly consistently—including yesterday and overnight. These winds have been transporting snow and building slabs atop weak snow surfaces (facets, crusts, surface hoar) that formed during our ongoing dry spell.
Yesterday, Ben found touchy wind slabs in the alpine terrain of the Sawtooths. He intentionally triggered one that broke 6-18" thick and up to 100' wide—wider than your "run of the mill" wind slab due to the weak underlying snow.
While these wind slabs probably won't bury you, they're too big to tangle with. They could easily take you for a ride over cliffs, pile you into trees, or wash you into a terrain trap. The possibility of wind slabs breaking wider than expected makes them less "manageable" than they normally might be. The best approach is "identify and avoid." Northerly winds often blow upslope, creating unusual loading patterns. So you may find wind loading along south-facing ridges, but you may also find slabs mid-slope in wind-exposed terrain. Keep your eyes peeled for evidence of wind drifting, changes in snow texture, and denser/stiffer snow at the surface.
(1/22/2022) North winds following Thursday's 6" of new snow created sensitive wind slabs. These are failing on weak snow surfaces that formed during the ongoing dry spell. This wind slab was intentionally triggered in alpine terrain in the Sawtooths.
