Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Possible
- Dimensione
- 1–2
Overnight windsfrom the east blew snow into fresh winds slabs up to 1’ deep. These will be more likely at upper elevations, below ridges, rollovers and in cross loaded gullies. Look out for blowing snow which is an indicator fresh wind slabs are forming. Clues like shooting cracks or snow that becomes stiff underneath you mean you are likely traveling on a wind slab.
Loose snow avalanches may be easy to trigger on steep solar aspects (east, south, west). These will become more likely if the sun has a chance to poke through the clouds and temperatures warm up quickly. These may release from a point and get larger as they carry more snow down the slope or trigger a small slab avalanche. Seek shadier slopes if you find yourself in the sun and see rollerballs releasing. Worst case scenario, one of these avalanches trigger a large avalanche on a buried weak layer.
Limit time spent under cornices and giving them a lot of room on ridges. Look out for glide cracks above you and limit time spent under them. They can release spontaneously into large glide avalanches.