Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–2
Cloud cover and warm temperatures last night should have prevented the wet snow that formed yesterday from refreezing in many places. While today's strong winds may cool the snow surface in some places, continued warm temperatures and possible rain will help add to the existing wet snow. Due to poor overnight refreeze, many slopes may not have the period of supportability that typically happens on spring mornings. If a thin refreeze crust does exist on a slope, it may only last for a short time. Wet loose avalanches could be possible all day on all aspects. Wet loose avalanches could entrain enough snow to knock a person over or push them into a terrain trap that magnifies the consequences of an avalanche. Long, steep slopes could produce larger wet loose avalanches since they gather more snow as they slide downhill. Rain could also weaken some of the cornices that linger along many ridgelines.
Expect wet and mushy snow on most slopes today. Sinking into boot-top deep wet snow, roller balls, and pinwheels can indicate larger, wet loose avalanches can occur. If the snow feels wet and unsupportable or it's raining, it's time to move away from avalanche terrain onto less steep slopes.
(4/6/2025)
It appears that a cornice collapse caused this wet loose avalanche as the falling cornice pieces entrained wet snow on the slope below.