Glide Cracks
- Alta montaña
- Límite del bosque
- Bajo el límite del bosque
- Probabilidad
- Unlikely
- Tamaño
- 2
A common glide path at Alpental ski area naturally avalanched early Tuesday morning near the onset of the rain. Wet slides like this can occur days after temperatures cool and snow returns. Rain fell well into the alpine during this storm and a relatively thin early season snowpack could allow the water to quickly reach the ground. This can weaken the base of the snow allowing the entire snowpack to glide off of smooth rock slabs and grassy slopes. Predicting when and where these avalanches may happen is extremely difficult, but the fact one already occurred gives a clear warning. Instead of gambling by walking under steep rocky slopes, give yourself a wider margin of safety by traveling around runout zones, spreading out while traveling through unavoidable terrain, or simply selecting alternate routes to reduce your exposure.
(12/7/2020) This glide avalanche on Rock Face at Alpental occurred much early this winter. Recent wet and warm weather could cause similar slopes to produce avalanches.