Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Likely
- Dimensione
- 1–2
Dense wind-driven snow will pile up Sunday night and Monday, and increase again Monday night as a storm impacts the region. Look for increasing signs of instability as the day wears on; shooting cracks, whumpfs, or signs of natural avalanches in the new snow. You'll find deeper and more consequential slabs growing on lee slopes in wind-affected terrain near Washington Pass and westward. Strong WNW winds may form drifts further downslope of ridgelines than usual. Where these conditions develop, avoid wind-loaded slopes steeper than 35 degrees. With an increasing chance of natural avalanches late in the day, be aware of overhead hazard connected to larger slopes.
In more sheltered terrain, you may trigger shallow storm slabs that fail on the old snow surface or inter-storm layers. You can steer around steep rollovers and unsupported slopes to avoid triggering a storm slab avalanche. If avalanche conditions deteriorate more quickly than forecast, pivot to simpler and lower angled terrain at any elevation.
On steep lee slopes you can likely trigger a wind slab avalanche near and below ridgelines Monday. With strong winds forecast, wind slabs may form further downslope than usual.
Example photo: Irene Henninger
(1/9/2023)