Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Unlikely
- Dimensione
- 1–2
The slabs of wind-blown snow formed on leeward slopes during the last storm continue to bond to themselves and the old snow surfaces below them. As the snowpack gets stronger, triggering an avalanche becomes more difficult. At this point, avalanche activity has grown unlikely for most of the forecast area. When the winds increase on Wednesday, limited snow remains available for transport near and above treeline.
Most people will not see signs of unstable snow or trigger avalanches today. Still, unlikely does not mean impossible. An unstable wind slab or two may still lurk on an isolated terrain feature, especially in extreme terrain like steep alpine couloirs or exposed cliffy areas or on a hanging snowfield without support from below. Unfortunately, unexpected avalanches can have more serious consequences in this terrain.
Continue to identify areas where wind-blown snow has piled up by looking for clues like cornices above a slope, piles of drifted snow, and wind-created surface textures. If you see signs of unstable snow like cracking or hollow sounding/feeling snow, you may have found one of those isolated spots where a wind slab might linger. In this case, moving on to a different area makes sense. In general, smoother, softer, and more consistent snow exists in areas sheltered from the winds.