Wind Slabs
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Possible
- Taille
- 1–2
Field observations reported surprisingly light wind speeds throughout the day yesterday even on ridgetops. Our current NW flow will continue today, and winds are expected to increase slightly. Much of our alpine snowpack was ravaged by extreme winds last Monday leaving very little transportable snow in exposed terrain. This may limit the potential for fresh wind slab development however, as our current northwest winds increase in speed today, fresh wind deposits may accumulate in isolated areas on easterly and southerly terrain. Lingering wind slabs on northerly and easterly terrain have the potential to be large and may still be reactive to human triggers. Exposed areas and leeward catchment zones near and above treeline deserve elevated caution. Large drifts, recent cornice growth, and uneven snow surfaces are all clues that indicate nearby wind deposits. Do your own localized assessments and be suspect of terrain features that encourage drifting such as the leeward sides of ridgelines, gully features, and cross-loaded depressions.