Loose Wet
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Likely
- Größe
- 1–2
At mid and lower elevations you could encounter two types of loose wet slides during periods of rain. Piles of sleet (icy pellets) may become wet and produce small avalanches at lower elevations. If you see natural point-release slides, steer around similar terrain. At mid-elevations a layer of ice (freezing rain) should all but eliminate avalanche activity. However, if the crust starts to break down, or if you find areas where freezing rain didn’t reach, watch for new rollerballs to indicate unstable wet surface snow. While most of these avalanches should remain small they could ruin your Christmas if they carry you into a gully of over rocks.
Even though we feel loose wet avalanches will be the primary concern Sunday, rain reached high into the mountains. At upper elevations unstable wet snow could linger in many forms. Loose wet, wet slab, glide, and cornice avalanches could all occur. In some cases snow may simply shed from rocky faces. It’s the consequences of these uncertain wet problems that are maintaining dangerous conditions above the protection of the freezing rain crust. Stay off of steep open slopes and limit any time you spend underneath big rocky faces.
(4/15/2021) Example: When you find a wet, sticky, and punchy snow surface like this you may trigger loose wet avalanches on similar slopes. New rollerballs are also present on the slope. Photo: Andy Harrington