Avalanche Forecast

As the daytime warms up, expect to be able to trigger loose avalanches on steep slopes. Wet activity could start on northeasterly aspects early in the day and move to westerly aspects by afternoon. Watch for wet, punchy snow on south facing slopes or moist, sticky snow on shaded aspects as indicators. Be sure to consider what is above you. Terrain features such as couloirs and gullies tend to catch sun that may cause shedding even if you are on a shaded aspect below. Cornices are large and may begin to fail naturally. Use extra caution in and under these features. There is uncertainty with the upper snowpack as it goes through this initial thaw process, and point releases could trigger larger and more dangerous slab avalanches. 

Release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. They generally move slowly, but can contain enough mass to cause significant damage to trees, cars or buildings. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.

Travel when the snow surface is colder and stronger. Plan your trips to avoid crossing on or under very steep slopes in the afternoon. Move to colder, shadier slopes once the snow surface turns slushly. Avoid steep, sunlit slopes above terrain traps, cliffs areas and long sustained steep pitches.

Several loose wet avalanches, and lots of pinwheels and roller balls.

Loose wet avalanches occur where water is running through the snowpack, and release at or below the trigger point. Avoid terrain traps such as cliffs, gullies, or tree wells. Exit avalanche terrain when you see pinwheels, roller balls, a slushy surface, or during rain-on-snow events.

You may still be able to trigger slab avalanches in open wind effected terrain at upper elevations. Strong northeast winds drifted snow as recently as Sunday. Steer around obviously loaded slopes over 35 degrees where you see deeper drifts and pillows of snow. Avoid typical trigger points like convex rollovers and unsupported slopes. Watch for shooting cracks and whumphing collapses as indicators that you could trigger avalanches on nearby steep slopes. 

If you don't see obvious signs of instability, use small, inconsequential test slopes to see how easily the new snow can slide. Below the recent wind slab, you may find weaker, faceted snow that was buried on the 13th. This weak layer could make it possible to trigger avalanches for longer than usual after the storm.

Release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Wind Slabs form in specific areas, and are confined to lee and cross-loaded terrain features. They can be avoided by sticking to sheltered or wind-scoured areas..

Wind Slab avalanche. Winds blew from left to right. The area above the ridge has been scoured, and the snow drifted into a wind slab on the slope below.

Wind slabs can take up to a week to stabilize. They are confined to lee and cross-loaded terrain features and can be avoided by sticking to sheltered or wind scoured areas.