Central Sierra Nevada

Problèmes avalancheux

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Likely

  Taille

  1

  New wind slabs have formed on top of old wind slabs that rest on top of old weak surface snow. The largest wind slabs should lurk on NW-N-NE-E-SE aspects loaded by the SW winds in near and above treeline terrain. Smaller wind slabs are possible on NE wind-loaded W-SW-S aspects. In some cases, wind slabs may have crept into wind-exposed areas below treeline as well. While the best period for natural wind slab avalanches should have occurred during the night, human-triggered wind slab avalanches large enough to bury or injure a person will remain likely today. 

  Identifying wind-loaded slopes and traveling safely in more exposed terrain may be more difficult today. Clues like cornices above a slope, blowing snow, and wind created surface textures can help, but if you can't tell for sure, assume unstable wind slabs could exist on the slope. Slopes sheltered from the wind could hold consistent soft snow with fewer chances of instability.

• 

  Wet Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  1

  Cooling temperatures during the storm combined with moderate new snow accumulations should make loose dry sluffs on steep slopes more likely than storm slabs today. They should remain relatively small and only occur in the new snow. While storm slab activity should be unlikely in most areas, storm slabs are not impossible on some isolated terrain features in areas that received the most new snow.