Loose Wet
- Alta quota
- Limite del bosco
- Sotto il limite del bosco
- Probabilità
- Possible
- Dimensione
- 1
Wet loose avalanches are the main problem today as the snow heats up and becomes wet mostly at lower elevations and near exposed rocks. Go to higher elevations or shaded slopes where the snow remains dry to avoid this problem but still watch for older wind slabs.
Today avalanche conditions remain generally safe especially on more shaded slopes receiving less sunshine. In those areas watch out for older wind slabs (like this one near Cooke), especially in more extreme terrain where being swept off your feet can have serious consequences. In areas sheltered from both sun and wind, watch for sluffing of the weak surface snow. I haven’t listed these as problems in most areas, but watch for them nonetheless. Dave discusses how this weak snow is preserved in this video.
The most likely avalanches you’ll see today are wet loose avalanches. They will happen predictable on sunny slopes as the snow heats up and becomes wet. They are most likely to occur near exposed rocks that will get quite hot in the sun and radiate that heat into surrounding snow. Pinwheels or wet snowballs rolling downhill are indications the snow is warming and that wet loose avalanches may start happening.
Wet loose avalanches are mostly a problem when they happen above you in confined terrain like gullies where you can’t get out of the way. Swing around the compass to northerly facing slopes where the snow is dry to avoid this problem.
Today the avalanche danger will rise to MODERATE as the snow heats up. The danger remains LOW at higher elevations or on slopes shaded from the sun where the snow doesn’t get wet.
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