Persistent Slabs
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Likely
- Size
- 2
Many steep slopes are hanging in the balance, waiting for a trigger. Recent avalanches as well as collapsing and cracking are bullseye clues that conditions are hazardous to your health if entering steep terrain today.
There's little mystery here: recent storm snow and moderate to strong winds have built a slab that teeters unsteadily over very weak sugar snow and we have a classic upside down strong over weak, unstable snow structure.
This unstable snow structure exists on many west to north to southeast facing slopes at the mid and upper elevations.
As I see it, you have three options;
- Avoid the terrain (aspects and elevations) that harbors this unstable snow structure.
- Choose this terrain but stick to the low angle slopes with no overhead hazard.
- Roll the dice and hope for the best. But as I said earlier, conditions are ripe for an avalanche accident today.
