Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Regions
.
The Bottom Line: Strong winds will drift the new snow into thick slabs. In places these are sitting on a hard, refrozen crust, and may not bond well. Identify wind slabs by their shape, texture, and feel. Look to avoid these slabs on steep slopes.
Snow and Avalanche Discussion
An observer in the Gallagher Head Lake area on Saturday found a stout rain crust up to his high point at 6,500ft. This is good news for the persistent slab problem in this area. Uncertainty remains as to how high and thick this melt freeze crust exists in the greater eastern slopes. A very deep avalanche was observed to have peeled away from a convex roll on a Southeast slope at 6,600ft near Mt. Daniel. This appears to be at least a day or two old.
Large avalanche off a peak near Mt. Daniel observed on 1/5.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.
