Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Winds were backing off on Saturday and will continue to do so on Sunday. The weather will also trend warmer in the coming days. With this relatively stable weather, I expect the likelihood of wind slab avalanches to decrease. Nevertheless, I think it's worth giving this avalanche problem a little more time.
There were multiple observations of human-triggered wind slab avalanches and other signs of snowpack instability on Saturday. According to the reports and my observations at Ball Butte, these were generally small avalanches (size 1-1.5) on east aspects and did not involve any burials. See photos below.
On Sunday, the sunny, mild weather may beckon you to venture farther into the backcountry and into bigger terrain. Don't assume a slope is "safe" just because you see tracks on it, and remember that subtle changes in the terrain can hold the sweet spot for triggering an avalanche. Right now, we have rocks and small cliff bands that are close to the snow surface and make for excellent trigger points. Use small and/or low angle test slopes (such as a wind lip or a convex roll on a ridge) to assess the snowpack stability before committing to large slopes, especially if there are terrain traps, such as trees, depressions, or cliffs, which would make the consequences of an avalanche worse.