Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Likely
- Size
- 1–1.5
You can easily trigger small avalanches on steep, wind-loaded slopes facing northwest through north to east, generally above 10,000 ft. These avalanches may be small but they can knock you off your feet and take you for a dangerous ride through a thin snowpack. To reduce your chances of triggering an avalanche avoid traveling on steep slopes where you notice wind drifting snow onto the slope. The most dangerous areas are the lee sides of ridgelines and in gullies or couloirs where wind shifting from the southwest through west to the northwest will continuously load additional snow onto a very weak snowpack.