Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–1.5
Small amounts of new snow overnight and during the day on Sunday may create small Wind Slabs on lee slopes. Look for evidence of recently building Wind Slabs. This includes: blowing snow, as well as scoured slopes that are opposite slopes that have smooth snow textures and deeper deposits of new snow (ie scoured West slopes, and then smooth East facing slopes). With only a few inches of new snow, Wind Slab avalanches will be pretty small, but remember that wind deposited snow can be 3–5 times as deep as the snow that's fallen in sheltered glades and meadows. On the right slopes, Wind Slab avalanches could be large enough to take someone for a ride. Use smaller or less steep terrain to determine how deep the new wind blown snow is.
I've put our Wind Slab problem at higher elevations near treeline because with winds just reaching Moderate speeds, that is where they are most likely. It is not uncommon to see blowing snow, and wind loaded pockets of snow, adjacent to the lava flows and lakes that are lower in the terrain.