San Francisco Peaks / Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Avalanche problems

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  1–1.5

  Wet loose avalanches often originate on sun-exposed slopes, especially near solar-absorbing rock outcrops. Avoid steep, sunlit slopes above terrain traps and cliffs. Travel when the snow surface is colder and stronger. Plan your trips to avoid crossing on or under steep, sunny slopes in the afternoon. Monitor the snowpack surface, and move to colder, shadier slopes once the slush layers become more than ~6" deep. 

  These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the snowpack's surface, 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. 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. 

  

• 

  Wet Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Unlikely

  Size

  1–2

  Rapid warming and meltwater added to the snowpack may reactivate weak layers that were responsible for large (D2) natural slab avalanches on E-SE slopes in the last two weeks. There is only a slim possibility for wet slab avalanches today. The likelihood of wet slab avalanches will increase tomorrow as temperatures increase.

  Wet slabs can be very destructive but difficult to predict. Avoid terrain where and when you suspect wet slab avalanche activity. Give yourself a wide safety buffer to handle the uncertainty.