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A common scenario for developing a faceted crust: warm, wet surface snow is buried by cold snow and facets because of the strong temperature gradient. This process is called melt-layer recrystallization.
Snow that sits on the surface for days or weeks of cold, clear weather after a storm will change into near-surface facets, or “recycled powder.” This process is called diurnal recrystallization, and it forms a persistent weak layer.
If snow persists on the ground, the texture, size, and shape of individual grains will change even while the snow temperature remains below freezing, or they may melt and refreeze over time, and will eventually become compressed by subsequent snowfalls.
If the accumulated snow survives one melt season, it forms a denser, more compressed layer called firn. The snow and firn are further compressed by overlying snowfall, and the buried layers slowly grow together to form a thickened mass of ice.
Persistent slabs are most likely to result in dangerous human-triggered avalanches when the weak layer is buried 30-100 cm below the snow surface. When the layer is buried more than one metre deep, it usually becomes harder to trigger, but can still result in a very large, destructive avalanche.
Surface hoar can lead to avalanches. As you can see from the photographs (Figs. 7i.1-7i.4), surface hoar is very feathery and delicate. When it's on the snow suface, it presents no danger. Once it's buried by subsequent snowfall, however, the surface hoar acts as a weak layer within the snowpack.
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Jan 22, 2014 · Surface hoar is fragile and is easily knocked down by wind or sun – it may remain standing in some areas and disappear in others. Once buried, sporadic distribution can make this layer very unpredictable.
