Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
The snowpack is still thin. If you find a weak spot around rocks or the margins of a slope, you can trigger an avalanche that can break at the ground. Be especially careful in upper elevation north, northeast, and east-facing slopes that catch and hold drifted snow. If you trigger an avalanche in the drifted snow, it could step down to deeper weak layers and grow large enough to bury or kill you. Conditions like this are tricky. You won't see signs of instability, and previous tracks on a slope may not mean that the slope is safe. You can find safer travel on lower-angled and lower-elevation slopes.