Loose Wet
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1–2
Cooler temperatures last night and less melting yesterday should have resulted in a stronger refreeze that will take longer to soften/melt. Still, today's strong March sun and above freezing temperatures may provide enough warming for wet loose avalanches to become possible in some places. Slopes that face the sun directly (E-SE-S-SW-W) will experience the most warming and have more wet snow. If cloud cover blocks the sun over an area, expect less melting and more firm snow. Wet loose avalanches could entrain enough snow to knock a person over or push them into a terrain trap that magnifies the consequences of an avalanche. Long, steep slopes can produce larger, wet loose avalanches since they entrain more snow as they move downhill.
Once last night's refreeze crust melts and the snow starts to feel soft and wet, it's time to think about wet loose avalanches. Roller balls, pinwheels, and sinking into wet snow when you step off your equipment provide clues that unstable wet snow exists. Traveling on less steep terrain represents one way to enjoy soft, wet snow and reduce exposure to this problem. Another way involves timing your travel to move to colder aspects or exit the area before the snow gets mushy and wet.
(3/9/2025)
Small wet loose sluff on an E aspect test slope near 7,100', Yuba Pass, CA. While this was a small sluff, it may still push someone into an obstacle like the trees in this photo.
Photo: Sierra Avalanche Center