Loose Wet
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Likely
- Dimensione
- 2
The mountains got a shallow refreeze last night which will allow a short window for skiing the solars this morning. Get after it early today, and you will want to make your exit before things get too warm. It's all about timing, and the danger will rise to CONSIDERABLE on sunny slopes as the day heats up. Natural and human-triggered avalanches involving wet snow will become likely. We will mostly see wet-loose avalanches, but the potential for wet-slab avalanches is increasing each day. Slopes that face south and southwest have several melt-freeze crusts where melt water can pool and cause a deeper wet slab avalanche. West aspects have faceted weak layers that are relatively close to the surface. If melt water reaches these layers, we may see deep and dangerous wet slabs on these slopes.
There is some uncertainty regarding the faceted weak layers on northerlies. It will most likely take more time and warming for any wet slab activity on these slopes. Faceted snow packs can be somewhat unpredictable during rapid warming events. The conservative choice is to let the heat wave play out and wait for a solid refreeze this weekend.
The danger follows the sun, with east-facing slopes heating up first, then south, and then west. Signs of instability include roller balls, pinwheels, and sloppy wet snow. Stay off of, and out from under steep slopes when these signs are present. Even a small wet-loose avalanche can have high consequences in complex terrain. Be aware of what is below you, and think about what might happen if you get knocked off your feet by a wet avalanche.
