Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Unlikely
- Dimensione
- 1
Avalanche concerns today are mostly limited to new wind slabs formed last week. The 10-13 cm of snow recorded at the manual snow plots (1/27 - 1/29) likely passed through a brief period of instability before being impacted by NW and N wind on the 29th. What remains is mostly firm (1F) stubborn slabs. Isolated pockets of softer snow, sometimes capped with a stiffer slab, can be found in wind sheltered areas, and may be able to crack and fail given the right terrain configuration and a human trigger. While these pockets of softer wind slabs have demonstrated an increased sensitivity, they lack the propensity and or volume of snow to become large avalanches in all areas assessed. Keep in mind that even a small avalanche can be a problem in steep consequential terrain or a terrain trap. Watch for smooth pillows of softer snow on the surface. If boot or ski penetration increases more than a few inches, you've found one of the wind slabs formed on Thursday.