Loose Wet
N
NE
E
SE
S
SW
W
NW
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Likely
- Größe
- 2
In the last 11 days, the snowpack has only seen one refreeze, two nights ago. After temperatures warmed past 60°F yesterday, overnight lows only reached the 40s F. The snowpack remains mostly wet and unconsolidated.
- Wet Loose: This will be the most common concern, with the possibility for natural and human-triggered avalanches involving wet snow near the surface. These may be long-running and gouge down into the snowpack. These avalanches are especially dangerous in steep terrain or above terrain traps such as steep-sided gullies, where escaping the flow is difficult.
- Cornices: As temperatures rise, large cornices built earlier in the season become more and more fragile. Steer clear of traveling directly under these or through runouts where a falling cornice may trigger a larger wet slide once it impacts the slope above. Be sure to give them a wide berth when traveling on ridgelines, as they can break back further than expected.
- Wet Slabs & Glide Avalanches: As meltwater moves deeper into the snowpack, it can pool on buried crusts or weak layers, weakening the structure and allowing avalanches to break deeper and wider. These are larger and more destructive slides and may occur naturally. Glide avalanches happen when this water pools at the ground, causing the whole snowpack to slide—typically over smooth rock slabs or grassy slopes. Avoid traveling on or beneath slopes with visible glide cracks.
Photo taken by UDOT avalanche forecasters showing recent wet slab activity in the Provo mountains.