Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Possible
- Dimensione
- 1–1.5
Small skier triggered wind slabs were observed on Friday. With up to 7" of new snow by Saturday afternoon, wind slabs will continue to build on lee slopes.
Look for new cornices or a rough, wavy, or chalky texture on the snow surface to indicate where wind slabs have formed. It is important to remember that wind deposits can be many times deeper than the accumulated storm snow. Monitor the depth of wind drifted snow as you move through lee terrain below ridge tops and around features that catch blowing snow. Most wind slab avalanches will be small and specific to areas where wind blowing snow has accumulated. As you observe increased depth of wind loaded snow, expect resulting avalanches to become larger.
The danger from small avalanches will be related to proximity to terrain traps, such as being above a cliff, or on a sustained steep slope where going for a slide could result in a bad fall.