Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Likely
- Dimensione
- 1–2
During this storm cycle that featured several inches of rain at lower and mid-elevations and rain and snow at upper elevations, we've been talking about the potential for very large avalanches (powerful enough to destroy a car or wood-framed house) that can start in the alpine and run several thousand feet. Strong cooling will help lower this potential on Tuesday but increase your margin of safety and allow the snowpack to stabilize by staying out of large avalanche paths that originate in the above treeline or alpine.
Up to a foot of new snow will be blown around by strong west winds Monday night and Tuesday, creating fresh wind slabs on lees slopes. Winds are forecast to be out of the NW above treeline, a direction that can sometimes cause unusual loading patterns. Keep your guard up and feel for firmer or hollow sounding snow as you change aspect and elevation. Travel safely by sticking to ridgelines, wind-scoured aspects and lower angle terrain.
(12/18/2020) The debris pile of a large (D2.5) natural avalanche that occurred Thursday night at Mt Hood Meadows in closed and uncontrolled NE facing terrain. The avalanche initiated around 6600' on the rain crust formed 12/9.