Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Below freezing air temperatures last night were limited to locations above 8,500-8,800'. The strongest snow surface refreeze is expected above 9,000'. Below 8,500'-8,800' air temperatures were once again above freezing overnight. A decent but superficial snow surface refreeze is expected to have occurred on open slopes below 8,800'. This will have been driven by overnight radiational cooling of the snowpack under clear skies. Snow surface refreeze will be relatively weaker and thinner in areas under forest canopy where radiational cooling was less efficient.
Wind exposed slopes will be slow to melt today while wind protected, sun exposed slopes are expected to melt rapidly today. This could put areas of firm frozen snow surface very close by to areas of deep wet snow where terrain features are blocking the wind and melt rates are faster. There is the potential for some cloud build ups and a slight chance for some very light rain/snow showers along the Sierra Crest south of Hwy 50 this afternoon, but wet snow is expected to form before this has an impact on melt rates.
Once the supportable crust on the surface has melted away, the deeper wet snow below it that did not refreeze last night will be exposed. This will open the door to a wet loose avalanche problem. Once the surface crust is no longer supportable, exercise caution in or below avalanche terrain. Utilizing terrain that is less steep than 30 to 35 degrees and without steeper slopes above minimizes exposure to potential wet loose avalanches.