Wet Slabs
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Possible
- Dimensione
- 1–2
Wet snow avalanches will be possible today due to continued forecasted warm temperatures. The threat of human-triggered wet avalanches will increase as temperatures warm and the sun impacts the snowpack this morning. You're most likely to encounter these avalanches in steep, sunny, and rocky areas. Avalanches could be 1-2 feet thick and release without warning. Yesterday, cloud cover and sustained southern winds helped keep the snowpack cool and limit instabilities. Overnight temperatures below freezing allowed for a superficial refreeze. This refreeze combined with sustained winds today will continue to limit instabilities as a storm approaches this afternoon.
Managing this problem can be difficult. Pay attention to signs of warming. If you've found an unsupportable, mushy snowpack stay off of and away from avalanche paths and terrain with similar characteristics. Watch the sky, wind, and snow surface as you travel through the mountains. Terrain exposed to the sun and sheltered from the wind will heat up quickly. Don't let a refrozen crust catch you off guard either, remember that water and heat can remain deeper in the snowpack. Dig down into the snowpack to look for pooling water, a sign of unstable wet snow. Be mindful of cornices today. As temperatures increase, they will become more sensitive and could fail on sunny aspects during the heat of the day.
(4/4/2024)
A D1.5 wet loose avalanche. Wet loose avalanches often start at a point, near exposed rocks or trees, and fan out as they travel downhill.
Photo: Cameron Galt