Central Sierra Nevada

Problèmes avalancheux

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  1–1.5

  Any supportable snow will be short-lived today and may not even exist in some places due to the weak refreeze and hot, sunny weather. Pay attention to the quickly changing snow conditions. Once the snow starts to feel wet or unsupportable, it's time to finish your on-the-snow activities or switch to recreating on mellow terrain away from avalanche terrain. Small wet snow sluffs and sinking into boot-top-deep wet snow can indicate that larger, wet loose avalanches may soon occur. 

  Today's strong March sun and hot weather will melt through any refrozen crusts that formed last night in short order, leaving behind wet snow. The surface wet snow will get deeper quickly as the day warms up, and wet loose avalanches will be possible, especially on sunny slopes. The repeated melt-freeze cycles and rain have helped the snowpack transform into late-spring or summer-like snow and formed good drainage channels that allow water to drain through the snowpack. These changes mean that most wet loose avalanches may remain small. Still, a few could be large, especially on long, steep slopes, where they could entrain more snow as they slide downhill. Keep in mind that small avalanches can have increased consequences in exposed terrain. Most cornices have already collapsed or melted, but if there is an isolated overhanging cornice lingering along a ridge, it will be suspect during this heat wave.