4.2.3 Impact of wind

2 snowpack scenes: on the left, drifted snow slab (day 6 of Scenario 1). On the right, fresh, undrifted snowfall (day 1 of Scenario 1).

Which snowpack would be impacted more by winds greater than the 5 m/s (~10 kt) threshold? Select the correct answer, then click Done.

The correct answer is a.

Drifted snowpack is harder to lift and move because the snow grains are typically fractured, smaller crystals. As they accumulate, they pack together more tightly, making them more resistant to wind. For a given wind speed, the denser the snowpack, the less the snow will be blown and redistributed.