Persistent Slabs
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Possible
- Taille
- 2–3
Hard slabs, with depths to four feet, lie upon persistent weak layers of faceted snow near the base of the snowpack on a variety of aspects. Large triggers, such as groups of people or snowmobiles, may be necessary to cause failure of these basal facets. However, the chance continues for a single person to trigger one of these hard slabs, particularly in a shallow area where those weak layers are more easily impacted. Previous tracks and the lack of recent avalanche activity are not indications of stability.