Loose Wet
- Alta montaña
- Límite del bosque
- Bajo el límite del bosque
- Probabilidad
- Possible
- Tamaño
- 1–2
We're not quite sure how Thursday will play out. Temperatures will increase, and we've received 3.5 inches of water since Sunday night. This means upper elevations may have up to about 3 feet of new snow, and shallow or deeper avalanches might occur in the new layer. It could start raining before the day is out, which may spike wet avalanche activity as well.
There's a chance we'll have an abundance of wet avalanches, and the best actions to take would be to avoid steep slopes and the terrain beneath them. Avalanches could grow large, gouging deep into the snow and running further than expected, especially in gullies. Or, there may not be any remarkable activity.
Regardless, wet avalanches are usually the easiest ones to monitor and manage. For starters, this isn't a day to commit to routes where you can't avoid avalanche terrain. You can do your part by monitoring slopes:
- If there are large natural avalanches running, then keep it simple and avoid steep slopes and the terrain beneath them
- If there are no or few natural avalanches, you may still be able to trigger one on a steep slope. If you enter steep terrain, be cognizant of your surroundings and always have an exit strategy. Don't let one surprise you from behind because you will probably get trapped in it, which quite possibly will kill you.
Example photo: Wet avalanche debris like what you might encounter on Thursday. Photo: Evan Wendel