Storm Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Very Likely
- Dimensione
- 1.5–2.5
The recipe for natural avalanches on Wednesday is pretty simple:
- Significant precipitation with 24-hour totals of 2-3 inches (with significantly more arriving Wednesday night).
- Warming with snow levels pushing up to 5000 ft.
- Very strong winds transporting large amounts of new snow at middle and upper elevations
- Heavy dense snow falling on lighter, low density snow from recent days.
Expect slabs to be larger and more destructive in wind loaded terrain. But, don’t think you’re safe on more wind sheltered slopes since new snow will fall upside down with the warming trend. Storm and wind slabs will grow in depth as the day progresses and these could easily be large enough to bury or kill a person. As the afternoon progresses into the evening, very large avalanches releasing into the upper canyons won’t be out of the question.
The travel advice is simple for a day with these types of weather inputs. Avoid being on or under all avalanche terrain - especially as the precipitation and winds intensify.
(1/6/2024)
Avalanches have the potential to be destructive, even in more wind-sheltered areas. This large hard slab avalanche from a couple of years ago in the Pea Gravel area occurred during a similar loading event.
Photo: Jack Kuenzle