Cornices
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Unlikely
- Taille
- 1
Isolated persistent slab avalanches are a very low likelihood problem at this time. A difficult to trigger weak layer of basal facets lingers above 9,000'-9,500' on NW-N-NE aspects. The most likely points for human triggering exist at relative shallow areas of the snowpack commonly found near exposed rocks, isolated trees, and along cliff bands. Exercise normal caution and manage terrain to avoid potential trigger points.
The bigger picture issue is how these facets will react to the expected new snow loading Thurs/Fri. If the current forecast of several feet of new snow above 8,000' verifies, large and potentially destructive deep persistent slab avalanches could very well become a concern. It is still a bit early to commit to this line of thinking, but file it away and start brainstorming appropriate terrain and snowpack management techniques for deep persistent slabs. As seen in yesterday's observations, slopes that received heavy traffic after the last storm will not be immune. After brainstorming for a bit, check here for accuracy of ideas and further guidance.