Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 2
Both natural and wet loose sluffs are expected with rapid warming and direct sun today. These will start on east, then south, then westerly facing aspects. Unseasonably cold temps and touch of wind kept the lid on much of the wet activity yesterday; today will offer no such reprieve. I expect the mid week storm snow (roughly 4-6") today to become fully saturated, unstable, and run on the early week sun crusts.
Timing will be key today: Too early and you'll find slide-for-life conditions on the slick refrozen crusts; Too late and you'll put dramatic ruts in the wet snow on low angle slopes; on steeper slopes you are likely to trigger wet avalanches. Although these run more slowly than dry sluffs; the debris sets up like concrete.
Trend: Increasing
The large, overhanging cornices become more tender in the spring and start to calve either naturally or with the additional weight of a person. Cornice-related fatalities account for about 5% of our accidents.