Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1
SW winds increased last night and became just strong enough to move snow. Plenty of unconsolidated snow existed along the ridgetops and was available for redistribution through wind transport. A fair bit of uncertainty exists as to the depth and extent of newly formed wind slabs. Any areas where new wind slabs have been deposited on top of the Dec 4 buried surface hoar layer could be very problematic. The vast majority of new wind slabs are expected near treeline and above treeline on NW-N-NE-E-SE aspects. Avalanche size in isolated areas could be large enough to bury a person (size D2), but is mostly expected to be too small to bury a person (size D1).
Look for signs of newly wind drifted snow in the form of wind pillows, wind textured snow surfaces, and cornice formation. Carefully evaluate slopes before committing. Keep in mind that a surface hoar weak layer may fail on lower angle slopes than a more typical uncomplicated wind slab. Avalanches may be triggered lower on a slope than usual and propagation may be quite wide. If evidence pointing to safe conditions is limited and uncertainty remains, opt for more wind protected terrain. Simply avoiding all wind affected areas is an easy way to manage today's avalanche problem.