Wet Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Likely
- Size
- 1–3
Wet and deep unstable snow exists throughout the forecast region with more avalanches expected today. Travel will be difficult in the backcountry with rain, deep wet snow, and gale force winds. Natural avalanches could occur this morning during the last of the higher intensity rainfall. Avalanches could run long distances into treed or other areas thought "safe" for travel. Consider avoiding travel in avalanche terrain and below avalanche run out zones if venturing out.
Recent and continued heavy rain at all elevations will further erode bonds and weaken the snowpack. Previous avalanche problems have all transitioned to wet slab avalanche problems. Areas where unstable slabs of wind blown snow previously existed will have the potential for wet slabs to be triggered in wind loaded areas. As rainfall amounts increase, NW-N-NE aspects where the buried Feb 10 facet layer exists will become more of a concern with uncertainty as to how these deeper weak layers will react. Heavy rain will load the snowpack above these weak layers with the potential for large to very large avalanches occurring. Any avalanches that involve the Feb 10 weak layer could propagate wider than expected, run long distances, and be large and destructive. Wet loose avalanches are expected to be widespread on steep slopes on all aspects and elevations. Many of our largest historical avalanches in the Greater Tahoe backcountry have occurred during rain on snow events.