Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–1.5
Below freezing air temperatures and clear skies last night are expected to have contributed to a strong overnight snow surface refreeze. A longer period of supportable snow surface conditions are expected to occur today. Last night's refreeze will still have been superficial. The strong mid April sun will eventually melt though the surface crust in many areas, especially at low to mid elevations.
Once the surface crust from last night melts enough to loses supportability, wet loose avalanches are possible. With a stronger refreeze last night and below average air temperatures today, the development of problematic amounts of surface wet snow are less likely to form until late today in upper elevation terrain. It is time to exit avalanche terrain once you can sink boot top deep into wet snow or when wet snow becomes unsupportable.
Cornices that exist along many ridgelines are drooping and rounded, but may still collapse unexpectedly in isolated areas.
(4/15/2025)
Debris from a recent wet loose avalanche in Cathedral Bowl on Mt. Tallac. It looked like enough debris to injure/partially bury a person.