Loose Wet
- Hochgebirge
- Waldgrenze
- Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
- Wahrscheinlichkeit
- Possible
- Größe
- 1–1.5
Mostly clear skies and overnight lows near freezing in many places should have allowed the upper part of the snow to refreeze last night. Today, warm weather and strong sunshine will melt this refreeze and create wet snow on the surface. Some areas may experience enough warming that the surface crust becomes unsupportable. If this happens, avalanches of wet loose snow could be possible on steep slopes. Areas near rocks, in gullies, or around creeks could experience more melting and hold deeper wet snow. Open sunny slopes will also heat up quickly.
Boot-top deep wet snow, rollerballs, pinwheels, and recent wet loose avalanches are all signs that unstable wet snow exists. Finishing your activity early in the day before the refreeze melts represents one way to avoid wet snow problems. Once the snow is wet traveling on lower angle slopes that are not below avalanche terrain is another way to reduce exposure to avalanche problems.
(4/1/2022)
Recent small loose wet avalanche on N to NE aspect terrain. Forestdale Divide, Carson Pass, CA
Photo: Travis Feist