Wind Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 2
Shallow new drifts will be particularly sensitive and may be triggered at a distance today. These will be most pronounced on west to north to east facing slopes at the mid and upper elevations. The new drifts will be landing on a variety of weak snow surfaces across the compass. Remember that avalanches involving buried surface hoar often run on lower angle slopes. Mid-slope and mid-elevation ridgelines will be every bit as suspect as the usual steep upper elevations...if not more so.
CORNICE: Several days of strong winds have created large and sensitive cornices along the exposed ridgelines. Some of these cornices have dropped naturally, and many observers have noted they are quite sensitive as you approach them. Large cornices often collapse and break much further back than expected, so be sure to give them a wide berth when traveling along the exposed ridgelines. Photo Brian Smith