Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Wind slabs may still be found in steep, lee terrain features on north and east facing slopes.
Avalanche forecast
View on mapAkamina
Jan 1 – 2, 2023Avalanche Canada
Archived · expired 4 years ago
Avalanche danger
Tue
Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
Highlights
Assess for wind slabs in steep terrain prior to committing.
Avalanche problems
Confidence
High
Avalanche Summary
No avalanches were reported on Friday. A few wind slab avalanches were reported on preceding days. They include some large (size 2) natural wind slab avalanches in steep rocky terrain and some small (size 1) explosive and skier triggered wind slabs up to 50 cm thick.
Snowpack Summary
Around 20 cm of snow overlies a hard melt-freeze crust up to around 2000 m. Strong southwest wind redistributed the surface snow, forming wind slabs in lee terrain features. Moist snow or a surface crust may be found up to around 1600 m.
The middle of the snowpack is generally consolidated and sits above weak, faceted snow near the ground.
Weather Summary
Saturday Night
Cloudy with no precipitation, 20 km/h west wind, treeline temperature -5 °C.
Sunday
Mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation, 10 km/h west wind, treeline temperature -5 °C.
MondayMostly sunny with no precipitation, 10 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperature -5 °C.
TuesdaySunny with no precipitation, 10 km/h southwest wind, treeline temperature -5 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Use caution when approaching steep and rocky terrian.
- Use ridges or ribs to avoid areas of wind loaded snow.
- Back off if you encounter whumpfing, hollow sounds, or shooting cracks.