Loose Wet
- Alpin
- Limite forestière
- Sous la limite forestière
- Probabilité
- Unlikely
- Taille
- 1–1.5
If you feel like the avalanche danger and problems haven't changed much in the last 2 weeks, you're spot on! And really they haven't. For much of the month we've been describing a situation where natural avalanches are unlikely, avalanches large enough to bury or injure a rider are unlikely, but it will be possible to trigger small avalanches on steep sunny slopes. These small avalanches could be large enough to knock a rider off their feet, which is worth considering on very large, steep slopes, or where additional terrain traps are present.
This has been one of the longest and most predictable corn snow cycles in recent memory. If you were out riding in the last few weeks, and you feel like you nailed the timing, probably keep to a similar program. Slightly warmer temperatures and less wind on Monday may soften things a bit more.
East facing slopes will soften earliest in the day with morning sunshine, West slopes will melt later in the day, and South slopes receive the most sunshine and melting. North facing slopes see the least sun, so give them plenty of time. Of course, the sunshine, warm temperatures, and melting that lead to good riding can also to lead to Wet Loose avalanches when the snow becomes overly slushy.