Wind Slabs
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Likely
- Taille
- 1–2
The rate of snowfall is expected to pick up overnight along with stout winds out of the southwest. Lee terrain features will accumulate wind blown snow and give rise to the latest round of the wind slab problem. Places like under ridgetops and high points are the classic features where wind slabs form. Also watch for gullys and other pieces of terrain that accumulate snow as it moves across a mountainside. Monitor the depth of new wind slabs if you have a safe place to do so. Deeper slabs can generally produce larger avalanches. Signs of unstable snow such as shooting cracks or previous avalanches are indicators that you can trigger an avalanche. Remember, you can always avoid wind loaded slopes if you have uncertainty about the stability.
With sustained wind speeds in the 20's mph, we may see wind slabs develop in clearings and areas of sparse trees at the lower elevations. Always watch for blowing snow and visual clues that indicate blown snow has accumulated.
Archive Photo: Aaron Hartz
Cracking in wind slab. This is an indicator of unstable snow.