Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Likely
- Dimensione
- 1–2
Use extra caution on leeward sides of ridges and terrain features. Watch for triggering avalanches where the wind drifted slabs of snow on Tuesday. Look and feel in the snow for clues such as stiffer, deeper drifts, or sculpted surfaces. Steer around convex roll-overs and slopes 35 degrees and steeper. Continue to avoid unsupported slopes and terrain where avalanches in the recent snow may overlap with the deep persistent slab problem. Give the new snow and wind drifted areas time to heal and travel on less steep and more supported slopes.
Over 14" of snow accumulated near Washington Pass by Tuesday night. The snow landed on a variety of surfaces from moist melt forms at low elevation to crusts or old wind-pressed snow. Avalanches in the new snow could still be possible wind-sheltered slopes on shaded NE-NW aspects where you find underlying weak facets.
(3/15/2022) A small (D1) slab avalanche, triggered on a leeward slope on the 3/14 interface. Crown: 14" deep x 25' wide. Kangaroo Ridge, WNW, 6850ft Photo: Josh Hirshberg