Bollettino valanghe

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Tue
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 5 months ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Wet snow avalanches are possible today as rain and meltwater stress the recent snow. Careful terrain selection and awareness of the warm, wet snowpack will be important. Avoid steep slopes with wet snow to reduce your chances of getting caught.

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–1.5

    What and where is it:  Seven inches of new snow fell Saturday on a refrozen bed surface and will be subjected to 1-3 inches of rain and above-freezing temperatures. Rain and meltwater will weaken the recent snow, creating opportunities for wet snow avalanches on all snow covered slopes. While easterly aspects hold deeper drifts from wind loading, snow coverage of this snow is fairly uniform across aspects. The greatest potential for larger avalanches exists on east-facing slopes above 3000 feet, where thicker slabs formed.

    How can you recognize it: A wet, soft snow surface is a clear sign that the snow may be becoming unstable. With a fairly shallow layer of new snow, rain and meltwater will quickly weaken it as water moves through the snow and reaches the older bed surface. Digging into the snow to see how wet it is and whether water is pooling on crusts can help you assess the potential for wet avalanches.

    How can you manage it: Steep snow-covered slopes should be treated with caution today. Propagating wet slabs are most likely early as temperatures rise and the snow first becomes wet. As the new snow becomes more saturated, avalanches will be more likely to behave as loose wet sluffs rather than propagating slabs. Wet slabs can have limited warning signs about instabilities below the snow surface. Wet avalanches are challenging to forecast and difficult to manage, so consider keeping terrain choices simple, as wet snow debris is heavy, dense, and destructive.

Avalanche Discussion

After last week’s significant multi-day warmup and subsequent refreeze, the older snowpack beneath the recent snowfall is structurally strong and relatively resistant to the rain expected over the next 12 hours. Because of this, the primary concern today is limited to the 7–8 inches of surface snow that fell on Saturday the 14th.

Rain and rising temperatures will quickly weaken this recent snow. Early in the wetting process, wet slabs may be possible, particularly where the new snow formed thicker drifts. As the snow becomes more saturated, avalanche activity will likely transition toward loose wet avalanches rather than propagating slabs. These problems are expected to remain confined to the recent snow and are unlikely to involve the older, refrozen snowpack below.

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation on our website or in the new Avy phone app of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts. 

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