Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Use timing to your advantage. We all want the surface to soften up for good riding, but be aware when the signs of wet snow avalanches present themselves. Look for clues like the snow becoming wet and slushy deeper into the upper pack, rollerballs, and pinwheels as signs that these avalanches can happen. Most wet loose avalanches will be small, however be cautious in steep and committing terrain. Small wet snow avalanches can cause you to loose your footing on steep slopes and send you tumbling into whatever is below. If the surface snow becomes wet and slushy to boot top depth or more, loose wet avalanches will gain size and pack more of a punch. I can envision some pieces of terrain in the forecast zone, where large avalanches may occur; such as big open alpine faces that funnel into a constriction.
On Wednesday, I did not observe any active wet loose avalanches happening but I did see the debris from quite a few previous slides on steep alpine slopes.
(3/18/2026)
Previous wet loose avalanches in the Broken Top bowl. I observed debris on steep SW, S, and SE facing slopes above treeline.
Photo: Aaron Hartz
