Central Sierra Nevada

Problemas de aludes

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1

  Clear weather and below-freezing temperatures during the night should have allowed for a better refreeze. The strong April sun should provide enough warming for the firm refrozen conditions to become wet and unsupportable by this afternoon even though the forecast calls for cooler temperatures today. Loose wet avalanches could become possible on steep sunny slopes. Some of these loose wet avalanches could involve enough wet snow to bury a person especially on larger slopes or in areas where the loose wet avalanche flows into a terrain trap like a gully. 

  Safety margins based on timing and terrain can help manage potential wet snow instabilities. Recreating while the snowpack remains supportable and returning before the refreeze melts into deep wet snow or avoiding steep slopes and using lower angle terrain both represent strategies to avoid wet snow instabilities.

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1

  Forecasting wet slab avalanches is notoriously difficult and too much uncertainty exists to put a likelihood on this problem. The current snowpack structure may allow for the possibility of wet slab avalanches when water percolates down to the surface hoar layer buried on March 24. If a wet slab avalanche does occur it could involve enough snow to bury or injure a person.

  Using timing and terrain to avoid wet snow and/or steep terrain can help avoid wet slabs.