Bulletin d’avalanche

Northern New Mexico

Taos Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
2 · Modéré
Sous la limite
2 · Modéré
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Points saillants

Warm temperatures and the intense sun this time of year will quickly heat up the snow surface.  Loose wet snow avalanches are likely today below treeline and on East, South and West aspects. Rollerballs and pinwheels are indications that the snow surface is becoming wet and it's time to head to higher elevation north aspects or shadier slopes.  Faceted weak layers around crusts higher up in the snowpack and depth hoar near the ground in shallow snowpacks continue to linger.  Although unlikely to trigger if you found the right slab/weak layer combination you could release a larger persistent slab avalanche.  

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Likely
    Taille
    1

    Warm temperatures and the intense sun this time of year will quickly make the snow surface wet.  Like clockwork, as the sun rises east-facing slopes will heat up first, transitioning to south and finally west aspects.  North facing slopes below treeline should also feel the impacts of warm temperatures today.  Watch out for rollerballs and pinwheels as these are indications that the snow surface is becoming wet and the concern for wet snow avalanches is increasing. Loose wet snow avalanches typically start a small point release in steeper terrain underneath rocks that can quickly fan out entraining more snow making it difficult to get out of the way.  

    Natural loose wet snow avalanches are likely today, with larger avalanches possible near and above treeline.  If you experience wet or heavy snow as you sink in over your boot top, it's time to move to a shadier aspect or head home for the day.    

     

    Small loose wet snow avalanche that happened mid-day yesterday on SE aspect that started just below a rock band. Expect more loose wet snow avalanches to shed today with warmer temperatures in the forecast.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Unlikely
    Taille
    1–2

    Buried near-surface facets and faceted crusts in the upper portions of the snowpack that were reactive during the Daylight savings storm in the middle of March have mainly been quiet over the last 10 days.  Recent snow and over 2" of water may make these weak layers more reactive than what we've seen over the last week. In shallow snowpacks (less than 150 cm) that still exist on some slopes in our mountains, large grain facets and depth hoar near the ground continue to linger.  Before committing to a slope, take the time to dig a quick pit to assess if any of these persistent weak layers are reactive. A ski or probe pole is another useful tool to quickly measure snowpack depths. Avoid likely trigger points on steep slopes on the margins of the slab and near rock outcrops. Always think about the consequences if you were to trigger one of these larger persistent slab avalanches.   

    A shallow snowpack that has lingering depth hoar near the ground with the new snow resting on top of an obvious dust layer that formed prior to this latest round of snow.

Avalanche Discussion

It's nice to see the mountains blanketed in a nice white coating as we've had several good spring storms in March, bringing some much-needed moisture to our mountains. Spring-like weather will fully make its return today with sunny skies and temperatures climbing well into the 40's.  This will produce a round of wet snow avalanches as the recently fallen drier snow will quickly heat up today.  It's that time of year where getting early starts and making an early exit is a good idea, not just for avalanche concerns, but also for ski quality.  

Instabilities within the recent snow have quickly become less reactive than during the peak of the storm a couple of days ago. Above treeline, you may encounter an isolated pocket of wind slabs on north and east-facing terrain.  These slabs will most likely be found just below ridgetops below cornices or in cross-loaded terrain.  Pay attention to changes in the snow surface, like stiffening and round and smooth-looking slabs.  These wind slabs would be small, but could knock you off your feet in consequential terrain. 

   

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