Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1
Below normal temperatures and mostly cloudy skies should help limit the warming that does occur today. However, short periods of intense April sunshine on the recent snow could cause enough warming for some wet snow instabilities to form. Human-triggered roller balls, pinwheels, and loose wet avalanches are possible on steep sun-exposed slopes today. Many of these loose wet instabilities should remain small, but some of them could still entrain enough snow to injure a person. They may even involve enough snow to bury a person if they occur in an area with terrain traps. Due to the high sun angles and intense sunshine, loose wet instabilities could occur on any aspect that receives any amount of sun today. If the cloud cover is as widespread and thick as forecasted, loose wet instabilities may be more limited.
Conditions can change quickly from cold soft snow to sunny warm unstable snow as soon as the sun hits the snow surface. Once the snow starts to feel wet and sticky or small signs of loose wet instabilities like small roller balls or pinwheels start to occur, it is time relocate to a colder aspect or abandon the snow for a different afternoon activity. Shaded N aspects should experience the least warming and have the best potential for preserving some cold snow.