Loose Wet
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Possible
- Dimensione
- 1
Yesterday, skiers in the Sawtooths were able to ski cut small wet sluffs. On my drive north, I observed some fresh wet loose avalanches in the Boulders, Smokys, and southern Sawtooths. Today, expect to see an uptick in wet loose avalanche activity as temperatures rise. There are two varieties of wet loose avalanches to consider today.
- Surficial Wet Loose - Recent snowfall sits above a stout crust on many slopes. As the snow surface softens this snow will slide easily on the firm crust below. These avalanches could be numerous but will generally remain small.
- Gouging Wet Loose - As the crust below the recent snowfall weakens, water will move deeper into the snowpack allowing for larger slides (photo above/right). These avalanches will become more likely in the heat of the afternoon and into tomorrow as more of the snowpack turns to mush.
The onset of wet avalanche activity can be sudden. Keep your eyes peeled for fresh slides and avoid lingering under steep, sunny slopes.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION: Wet slab avalanches should be on your mind. The chance for wet slab avalanches will increase in the next couple of days as temperatures remain above freezing. Steering clear of areas with gloppy, unsupportable snowpacks—including areas below large avalanche paths with mushy snow conditions—is a simple way to minimize the chances of triggering or tangling with large wet slabs.
(4/1/2021) The chances of larger wet loose avalanches will increase as warm temperatures allow meltwater to push deeper into the snowpack. This slide in the Sawtooths likely occurred during last weekend's warm up.