Wind Slabs
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Possible
- Taille
- 1–2
Watch for pockets of reactive wind slab in leeward terrain features in the alpine.
Sunshine can have a powerful effect on stability and your desire to push into aggressive terrain. Where buried weak layers may exist, build margins into your terrain choices.
Watch for pockets of reactive wind slab in leeward terrain features in the alpine.
A weak layer from January consisting of a melt-freeze crust with facets is buried 90 to 150 cm. This layer is most concerning in the south and east parts of the region in shallower snowpack areas.
The potential for loose avalanches will increase as the sun warms recent snow on steep slopes.
Reports have been very limited in this region. No avalanches have been reported since Tuesday, when a size 3.5 persistent slab was observed on a north alpine face that likely failed last weekend. Several loose wet avalanches on sunny slopes were also observed in this MIN post.
Please consider sharing your observations to the MIN.
Up to 15 cm of snow from Saturday sits over wet or crusty surfaces. On all but high north-facing alpine slopes, the upper snowpack is wet. Below 1800 m, it has melted substantially.
A persistent weak layer of facets and surface hoar from February is now 90 to 150 cm deep, and a layer of facets and surface hoar from late January is buried 110 to 190 cm. These layers remain a concern, especially in the south and eastern parts of the region where the overall snowpack is shallower. Otherwise, the snowpack is generally well-settled and strong.
Saturday night
Clearing. 5 to 15 km/h variable ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level dropping to 1000 m.
Sunday
Sunny. 20 to 40 km/h southeast ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature +2 °C. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.
Monday
Cloudy, with 5 to 15 cm of snow above 1400 m, rain below. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Tuesday
Cloudy, with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop winds. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.