Aspect:  All Aspects

Elevation: Above Tree Line

Bottom Line: Fresh and old hard wind slabs are lurking in specific areas and below prominent terrain features due to a reverse wind loading event earlier in the week. All aspects above tree line could contain pockets of these hard slabs located at ridge lines, peaks and passes. As new snow buries these areas of concern, it will become more difficult to identify suspect slopes so terrain should be evaluated carefully. Natural avalanches are unlikely and human triggered avalanches are possible in these specific areas. With new deposits this weekend falling over weak surface snow and a hard crust, conditions are primed for a future sliding surface. Be on the look out for fresh wind deposits, increasing temperatures and any significant load.  

Photo from 2/23/2022 in the Transitional Zone (credit: John Upton). Note the scouring at the ridge line and smooth, wind deposited snow on the NW-aspect and feature.

Travel Advice:

• Avoid slopes where the new snow was loaded and created surface wind slab.
• Identify and avoid shallow areas including trigger points around rocks, cliffs, and trees.
• Look for signs of snow that has been moved around by the wind (scouring and pillows of wind slab).
• Look, listen and feel for shooting cracks, collapses and hollow sounds.
• Avoid terrain trap areas such as cliffs and gullies, and areas where it is hard to escape off to the side.

Additional Consideration:

We believe deeper persistent layers are currently dormant. However, you could still trigger a persistent slab in thin or shallow snow even if we haven’t had recent feedback or avalanche activity. With the end of February comes a higher sun angle than we have seen for the last couple months. Surface warming will begin to be prevalent on solar days, especially around exposed rocks and creating thin and/or weak spots where you could trigger these deeper layers. Remember that persistent slabs are unpredictable and that tests and observations can be unreliable. A probe can be very helpful to determine snow depth and presence of deeper buried weak layers by noting resistance as the probe moves through the snow. Continue to use wide margins of safety, collect information and be patient when it comes to more committing terrain.