Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
On Thursday at Tam Rim, I found recent storm snow depths to be around 6" from what fell Wednesday morning to Thursday morning. This storm came with strong west to northwest winds, resulting in considerable snow transfer and wind affect on exposed slopes. I observed a variety of snow surfaces, including significant cross loading, scouring, and pockets of wind slab up to around 1' depth. With steadily warming temps through Friday and tapered winds, I would expect wind slabs are trending towards healing and becoming generally more stubborn to trigger. That being said, reactive pockets of wind slab are certainly still out there, so continue to monitor and assess conditions as you move through terrain.
If you find yourself traveling on terrain with wind drifted snow, monitor the depth of recently formed wind slabs to gain a better understanding of how large an avalanche could be. Below 8,000', this recent snow fell on a widespread crust. Use the crust layer as a base measurement for storm snow heights. Signs of unstable snow such as shooting cracks are indicators that the snow is currently unstable and you could trigger a slide. Use small, no consequence indicator slopes to assess terrain before stepping out to consequential steep slopes. Remember, you can always avoid wind loaded slopes if you are unsure of stability.
(3/5/2026)
Crossloading and scouring observed on an exposed north facing slope
Photo: Ryan Marvin