Persistent Slabs
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Possible
- Taille
- 2–3
Recent Avalanches: Several wind slabs were reported during last week's strong northwest winds.
A weak layer of snow that formed in December is buried under 2 to 4’ of snow and capable of producing a large avalanche. These weak layers are still collapsing (whumpfing) on slopes above 2,500’, a clear red flag telling us the snow is unstable. Another reason why this has been an ongoing issue in Summit Lake is that the snowpack is thinner. Generally the weight of our bodies is more likely to affect a weak layer in the snow to a depth of about 3’. This means that there are many places where the snowpack is thin enough for us to trigger an avalanche on this layer. It's also important to remember that weak layers are notoriously known for appearing stable in snow tests even when the slope is dangerous.
The safest option remains to avoid exposing yourself to steep consequential terrain above 2,500’. This includes slopes with trees, cliffs, and terrain traps such as gullies and depressions where snow could pile up.
(2/24/2026)
Looking at the start zones on Colorado Mtn.
Photo: Daniel Krueger