Wind slab on Silver Peak

Avalanche was triggered by the addition of a skiers weight to the thin edge of the slab on the skier's right flank. Slab thickness at the trigger point was <2", and propagated across a wind loaded slope averaging 30deg, with slab thickness up to 18", below obvious wind loaded cornices.

We observed this same slope yesterday, and found the wind loaded snow to be well settled storm snow with no slab formation. The surface snow and wind slab appear to have gained strength and density with the wind load and wet rain/snow combination that occurred overnight.

Yesterday, we saw consistent and settled F hardness throughout the newer storm snow on this slope, and today the wind slab had become 1F hardness, and failed on a F hard storm snow layer.