Major wet slides on Slide Mountain, NV today

Location Name: 
Symphony Bowl-South Slide Mtn
Region: 
Mount Rose Area
Date and time of avalanche (best estimate if unknown): 
Wed, 02/03/2016 - 23:19
Location Map: 
United States
39° 18' 14.4684" N, 119° 52' 58.1268" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Recent avalanche activity
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain
Rapid warming
Obvious avalanche path
Observation made by: Public
Avalanche Observations
Avalanche Type: 
Wet
Loose/Point-Release
Slope: 
40degrees
Trigger type: 
Skier
Aspect: 
South
Weak Layer: 
Other
Avalanche Width: 
60ft.
Terrain: 
Near Treeline
Elevation: 
9 400ft.
Bed Surface: 
Other - explain below
Avalanche Length: 
1 400ft.
Number of similar avalanches: 
More than 10
More detailed information about the avalanche: 

The intense warming of the snow today was not forecast and caught us unaware (and overdressed). South aspects of Slide Mountain were very unstable with the warming snow from the last storm running on the rain crust from last week between 12" and 16" down. The combination of a running bed surface and a quick warm up of this weeks cold snow via direct sun created pretty intense instability. Some of the wet slides ran a full 1400 vertical feet. One could reliably cut a slide off with enough pressure and this technique was employed when there was a terrain trap below. In other spots, the slope could be skied as long as one stayed ahead of the buidling debris and then sidelined it after a couple dozen turns. Any slope facing South on Slide Mountain steeper than about 30 degrees was prone to move when disturbed by a human trigger or even snow falling off a rock or tree.  Debris at the bottom of the bowl was considerable and appeared to be about 10'+ in depth in places.

Avalanche Photos: 
Weather Observations
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Above Freezing
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
More detailed information about the weather: 

The quick and unexpected rise in temperature today resulted in the proliferation of wet slides on a rain crust from last week that had frozen. I would expect the warming conditions after tonights front goes through which are forecast will lead to futher wet slide conditions later this week and something that bc users should be ready for when riding down or crossing steeper South facing slopes.