Deep Persistent Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Possible
- Dimensione
- 2.5–4
The Dec 1 weak layer still exists underneath 4 to 6+ feet of strong snow. Triggering an avalanche that fails on this layer gets more difficult with each passing day. A large trigger might provide enough force, like a cornice collapse or multiple people on a slope. Hitting a trigger point in a shallow area of the snowpack where the weak layer is closer to the surface may also still trigger a deep slab avalanche. While the chances of triggering one of these avalanches continue to decrease, the consequences remain the same. If one of these avalanches occurs, it would be enormous and unsurvivable.
Weak layer depth, variability, and a lack of obvious signs of instability make assessing stability challenging with a deep slab problem. Often, triggering a catastrophic avalanche is the first and only clue that the slope is unstable. Be patient; this problem will become less of an issue soon. Recreating in sub-30 degree terrain or on SE-S-SW aspects where this problem does not exist represent two ways to avoid this problem and still get out to enjoy the snow.