Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
On the night of Saturday, May 25, four to six inches of new snow will fall with strong to very strong westerly winds. The old snowpack surface was a stout, frozen crust in most spots. New snow will be softer and easy to identify above the crust. Above treeline, you can expect to find areas of drifted snow where you could trigger an avalanche. On steep slopes, avoid areas of new snow that show indications of drifting--cornices and drifts downwind of terrain features, smooth pillow or whale-like shapes, or etching and rippling on the surface. Even a small avalanche can be dangerous in steep, consequential terrain.