Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Possible
- Dimensione
- 1–2
Lingering wind slabs around 1' deep from the stormy conditions on Wednesday could still be an issue at treeline and above. Especially where wind slabs formed on top of a layer of buried surface hoar, which will cause them to remain unstable for much longer than a typical wind slab. The most dangerous slopes will be in steep terrain below ridgelines, convex rollovers, and loaded gullies.
To identify areas with lingering wind slabs, you can keep an eye out for shooting cracks and use test slopes to check how well the new snow is bonding to the old snow surface. It is possible that a small wind slab avalanche could step down onto a buried weak layer and create a much larger avalanche. You can avoid this problem by sticking to terrain that remained sheltered from the winds.
Additional hazards to look out for today include cornice falls near ridgelines and loose snow avalanches on the surface. If the sun comes out today, natural loose snow avalanches on steep southern aspects could be a concern. Glide avalanches are also still on our radar. We recommend keeping an eye out for glide cracks and trying to avoid spending time underneath them.
(3/3/2025)
Close view of the crown of an avalanche that was triggered on Tenderfoot on Monday. This was a wind-loaded slope, with a firm slab sitting on top of a layer of buried surface hoar.
Photo: Mik Dalpes