Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 2
Today's strong sunshine, warm temperatures, and lack of a solid overnight refreeze will cause the snow to get wet. This wet snow will produce small, loose wet avalanches. A few could be bigger if they entrain more snow as they roll downhill.
Slopes with exposed cliffs and rock bands or gullies where the sunshine is concentrated will be the most likely places to see loose wet avalanches. The most dangerous locations will be in confined gullies this afternoon when these slides can happen on their own and hit you from above.
Look for rollerballs and pinwheels rolling downhill and getting bigger as a sign that wet loose avalanches could start occurring.
In any upper elevation, northerly terrain features that have remained at all dry the increased southerly winds may have transported some lingering dry snow and created small pockets of recent-wind drifted snow. Avoid terrain features with obvious signs of wind-drifted snow.
Evaluate snow and weather conditions as you travel and update your own forecast based on what you are observing.