Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Increased winds, slightly cooler temperatures, and some afternoon clouds may help slow down today's warming. Still, the strong April sun and temperatures well above freezing should melt through last night's refreeze and leave a layer of unstable wet snow on most aspects and elevations. If rain falls on the snow this afternoon, more wet snow will exist. This wet snow could slide down steep slopes, resulting in wet loose avalanches. Some of these may remain small but could still push people into terrain traps, such as cliffs, rocks, gullies, or trees. Long, steep slopes can produce larger wet snow avalanches since these avalanches gather more snow as they move downhill.
Roller balls, pinwheels, and sinking into boot-top deep wet snow represent clues that wet loose avalanches can occur. Once the snow surface stops feeling frozen and starts feeling wet and mushy, it's time to switch to lower-angle slopes without steep slopes above them.
(4/2/2024)
A wet loose avalanche that happened near Frog Lake (Donner Summit) on April 2.
Photo: Lynn May-Gordon
