Persistent Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 3
Avalanche conditions are elevated in the backcountry, as preexisting layers of very weak snow were overloaded by recent heavy snowfall and drifting. A thick rain crust caps a poor snowpack structure, and it's so thick and hard that it will now be difficult for a person to trigger an avalanche, but a fragile, sugary, persistent weak layer is buried 1 to 3 feet deep, and the avalanches it can produce are large, destructive, and deadly.
- Human-triggered avalanches failing on the widespread, persistent weak layer are possible today and could be large and destructive.
- Large, dangerous, and deadly avalanches can be triggered remotely (from a distance or below).
- Audible collapsing or whumpfs and shooting cracks indicate unstable snow, but may not always be present.
This video shows an extended column test from Tuesday in the Northern Bear River Range.