Wind Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–1.5
You can trigger avalanches in freshly wind-drifted snow in steep upper-elevation terrain. Look for rounded pillows of snow and changes in snow density as you approach the top of gullies. If these crack when weighted, you have found dangerous snow. You are most likely to trigger larger avalanches on steep slopes with lots of trigger points and convex rolls. You may see multiple sets of tracks on a slope before you find a weaker area of the slab. You can find safer travel on slopes with a consistently deep snowpack and homogenous slope shape or on lower-angled slopes.