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When the weather forecast calls for warming temperatures, sun or rain, or when backcountry reports and weather station data show warming temps, rain or reports of sunny days, you may expect loose wet and wet slab avalanche problem types. Familiar with avalanche problem types? Skip ahead to check your understanding.
Tom Murphy
Wet Loose Avalanche
Wet Loose Avalanche
Wet Loose avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Dry Loose Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for wet loose avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Wet Loose avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Sarah Carter
Wet Slab Avalanche
Wet Slab Avalanche
Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.
For a quick reference summary of all the problem types bookmark this page: https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/#avalanche-character
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