Loose Wet
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1–2
Mostly sunny skies and some of the warmest temperatures of the year will combine to increase the chances of wet loose avalanches. These slides are most likely on very steep, sheltered, rocky slopes that directly face the sun. Wet loose activity last week in the neighboring Soldier & Wood River Valley Zone favored areas where the snowpack was less than about 2 feet deep. In these shallow areas, you may see naturally occurring avalanches that gouge to the ground. I expect the majority of these slides to be small, but even small wet slides are surprisingly powerful.
Wet loose avalanches begin at a point–usually a rock outcrop or a tree well–and collect snow as they move downhill. They can quickly grow in size on taller slopes or when confined to channeled terrain. Snow conditions can change quickly with aspect, sun angle, and exposure to the wind. Is the snow you're on wet, or mushy? Given your objective, do you expect the snow conditions where you're headed to be better or worse? What about an hour from now? The onset of wet avalanche activity can be hard to predict, but thankfully it's relatively easy to avoid. You can greatly reduce your risk by sticking to colder snow on more shaded slopes or by traveling earlier in the day when the snow surfaces are firm.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION:The weak layers of snow near the ground in this zone haven't gone away, but a lack of recent snowfall has allowed them to go into a state of "dormancy". The White Cloud Mountains are where this problem remains at its worst. Check out this photo to see the type of terrain where we think this problem is most likely to occur.