Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Likely
- Size
- 3
Even though the snowfall may have abated yesterday afternoon, the winds did not. They continued to transport snow and wind load leeward slopes all night and will continue to do so today. While the chances for natural wind slab avalanches have diminished, large human triggered wind slabs will remain possible today on wind loaded N-NE-E aspects and cross loaded NW and SE aspects and may remain likely in some places where the most wind loading has occurred or in complex or extreme terrain. Wind loaded near and above treeline terrain will hold the largest wind slabs, but they could also exist in more sheltered locations and in below treeline terrain due to the strength of the winds during this storm. These wind slabs will most likely fail on weaknesses within the storm snow like density changes or graupel layers or the interface between the wind slab and the snow below. Wind slab avalanches that do occur today could be large and could have serious consequences.
Clues like recent wind slab avalanches on similar slopes, shooting cracks on lower angle wind loaded terrain, cornices above a slope, blowing snow, wind drifted snow, ripples in the snow surface, and other wind created textures can help identify where wind slabs may exist. Use observations and clues like these to find where the wind slabs lurk and then avoid those wind slabs and their run out zones.
