Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1–1.5
Expect variable snow conditions that change during the day. Some places may remain mostly firm, some may get wet and mushy. Pay attention to the snow as you travel. If the snow starts feeling mushy, unsupportable, or you start sinking up to your boot-tops in wet snow, it's time to consider moving away from avalanche terrain.
Variable cloud cover and temperatures overnight likely led to a variable refreeze, with stronger refreezes in areas with clearer skies and colder temperatures, and weaker refreezes in areas with warmer temperatures and clouds. While today may be slightly cooler than previous days, it should still get warm enough to form wet snow in some places. Cloud cover may help limit how fast the wet snow forms on typically sunny slopes, but it may also help distribute warmth to typically shady slopes. Wet surface snow could form on a variety of aspects today, and wet loose avalanches may become possible on some slopes if enough wet snow develops.
Repeated melt-freeze cycles and previous rain events have transformed the snowpack into late-spring or even summer-like snow with well-established drainage. This means that most wet loose avalanches should remain small. Still, an isolated, larger wet loose avalanche might be possible on a long, steep slope, where a small wet loose avalanche could entrain more snow as it slides downhill. Keep in mind that small avalanches can have increased consequences in exposed terrain.