Wind Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Likely
- Dimensione
- 1–2
Strong overnight winds have created wind slabs up to 1’ deep that will be easy to trigger at upper elevations. Ridgetop winds from the east are expected to increase to 30+ mph in the afternoon. If these winds arrive sooner fresh wind slabs will be forming on slopes being loaded with wind blown snow. Wind slabs may be easier to trigger and propagate more widely than expected as well as occur on lower angle slopes where a layer of surface hoard is buried.
Watch for active wind loading. Shooting cracks and snow that feels stiff underneath you are good indicators you are traveling on a wind slab. Yesterday, a skier triggered a wind slab avalanche on Tenderfoot which is a bullseye clue that wind slabs will be reactive today. Terrain features that start mellow then “rollover” and become steeper as well as gullies are likely places where wind slabs exist. Sheltered slopes that are protected from the wind will be a safer option and likely have softer snow.