Rain on snow to the high peaks of the Blues will create natural or human-triggered wet snow avalanches, especially later in the day and tonight. Small avalanches in many areas are Likely. Stay off of slopes greater than 35 degrees and away from runout zones including road cuts.
This forecast is sponsored by Quickhatch Provisions of Joseph, OR.
Rain on snow will cause wet loose avalanches today, mostly in the small range. As always, look for rain or rollerballs to warn you that a human or natural wet loose may be imminent if you are in or below terrain greater than 35 deg.
Evidence of previous loose wet precursors (pinwheels)
Photo: Sarah Jakober
Wet snow avalanches are likely today and tonight in the Blues. Most of these will be small wet loose, but it if liquid water percolates down to the 3/12 rain crust, it could act as a bed surface for a wet slab. While unlikely, a wet slab would be large, destructive and unpredictable. You could dig to see how far down saturated wet snow extends, but avoiding avalanche terrain in the Blues would be much easier.
You can read Victor's observation on the snowpack structure from the Blues on Thurs. 3/20 here.
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