Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Likely
- Size
- 1–2.5
The size of Wind Slab avalanches could vary dramatically with elevation. Near treeline, the forecast is for about 5 inches of new snow. Wind can deposit snow 3-5 times as deep as the snow that falls from the sky, so we might expect Wind Slab avalanches to be 15-25 inches deep. This is surely large enough to bury or injure a rider.
The highest elevations likely dodged the worst of the rain and picked up a lot more snow. We could see larger Wind Slab avalanches at these elevations.
Often we see unusual loading patterns when we have Strong and Extreme winds. Sometimes we see wind loading further down slope and lower in the terrain than we are used to; other times it can be hard to find the wind blown snow at all. If you are riding near treeline or above (or in any terrain where the wind can move snow) assess the Wind Slab problem on lower angle or smaller slopes. Often the riding is better on open slopes that are more sheltered anyway.