Wind slabs are sitting over a weak layer of snow buried around 1.5’ deep. This setup will make it easier to trigger an avalanche on wind loaded slopes above 2,500’. These typically form below ridgelines where snow may feel hard and shooting cracks may be present, all indicators you are traveling on a wind slab. Limit time under glide cracks whenever possible.
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At the moment we are seeing less glide avalanche activity. That being said, there are still immense glide cracks above popular slopes that could release spontaneously as large avalanches. If you see these brown cracks, space out, and try to move quickly past them.
(12/14/2025)
Open glide crack just below the normal Sunburst skin track.
Photo: John Sykes
Recent Avalanches: Three remote-triggered avalanches were reported 6 days ago in Seattle Creek in Turnagain Pass from wind slabs that formed above a weak layer.
A weak layer of facets is buried around 1.5’ deep, most likely under wind slabs above 2,500’. The bad news is that this setup will make them easier to trigger for longer than expected. A dangerous behavior with wind slabs is that they may appear stable until someone has committed to riding the slope then they trigger an avalanche from above. The good news is that this problem can be easier to manage by steering clear of steep wind loaded slopes.
Wind slabs tend to form below ridgelines, on convex “rollovers” and in loaded gullies. Traveling on a wind slab may feel like the snow is harder or “hollow” sounding, and you may experience shooting cracks.
It is becoming less likely that a human could trigger an avalanche on a layer of buried surface hoar up to 3’ deep. This is due to the fact that there have been no reported avalanches on these layers in 3 weeks and many field tests are showing them to be gaining strength. These layers could become a bigger problem in the future if they get stressed by a new load of snow.
(12/13/2025)
Three remotely triggered avalanches on a SE aspect of Seattle Creek.
