Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 2–3
You can trigger a large and dangerous avalanche that breaks on weak snow buried near the ground. The most dangerous areas are where the snowpack is shallower such as near rock outcroppings, by stands of trees, or towards the bottom of convex slopes. It is easier to trigger an avalanche from shallow areas because you can affect the deeply buried weak snow. If you do trigger one of these avalanches it could break deeper, wider, and run farther than you expect, so give any steep slopes of concern a wide margin. You can find safer travel options on wind-sheltered, sunny slopes that melted to the ground before the late-November storms or on smooth, uniform slopes where the weak layer is buried at least three feet deep or more.