Grand Mesa

Your main concern for Wednesday is triggering a wet avalanche. The most widespread threat are loose wet avalanches running on underlying crusts. These avalanches will mostly be small, but can entrain enough debris to bury or injure a person in steep continuous terrain. The slides could gouge to the ground on slopes near and below the treeline. Beware of trapdoor conditions where you fall through the snowpack onto the ground at the lowest elevations. The easiest way to avoid these problems is to start and end your day early. The snow can rapidly change from supportable to soggy and dangerous.

You can also trigger a dangerous wet slab avalanche on high-elevation, northerly-facing slopes. Snow drifted into slabs in late April storms. That drifted snow is now getting moist or wet, and breaking off the underlying snow. The avalanches are generally shallow, but have been entraining additional snow and running long distances. Even small avalanches can take you on a ride with severe consequences if they push you over a cliff or pinball you into rocks.

The easiest way to avoid these problems is to start and end your day early. The snow can rapidly change from supportable to soggy and dangerous.