Wind Slabs
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Possible
- Taille
- 1
Shallow wind slabs will linger on lee slopes above about 6000'. Recent observations from around Mt Hood suggest that slabs around 3-6" thick are still present where windblown snow has accumulated. These slabs are generally soft and are most likely to be found on lee slopes near ridgelines and under cornices. Use inconsequential wind loaded test slopes to examine the bond of wind transported snow before committing to larger open slopes. These avalanches are unlikely to be large, but use caution near terrain traps like creeks and above cliffs where even a small slide could have big consequences. Cornices have grown substantially over the last two weeks and may fail easily. Give cornices plenty of space and avoid traveling underneath them.
(1/7/2021) A shallow wind slab triggered in White River on a small test slope. Use small test slopes like this to gather information before committing to larger more open slopes.