Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Likely
- Dimensione
- 2
Drifting by winds from the west in the last couple of days created stiff wind slabs in exposed upper-elevation terrain. Winds from the southwest will increase this afternoon and, in some areas, people are likely to trigger avalanches of wind-drifted snow up to 2-3 feet deep on drifted slopes steeper than 30°.
- Watch for and avoid fresh wind slabs on the lee side of major ridges, corniced slopes, and in and around terrain features like cliff bands, sub-ridges, gully walls, and mid-slope rollovers.
- Stay well away from and out from under overhanging cornices, which may break further back than expected.
- Obvious signs of instability include cracking and collapsing, but these red flags may not be present when avalanches occur.
- Soft slab and loose avalanches of new snow are possible even in more sheltered terrain, and natural avalanches are most likely during periods of particularly heavy snowfall.