Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 3
Human-triggered wet-loose and natural wet-slab avalanches remain possible on any slope that still holds snow. The danger is notably lower on solar aspects, where you’re most likely to encounter small, loose wet activity. The primary concern remains wet-slab avalanches, with the greatest likelihood on slopes facing the north half of the compass.
On many slopes, meltwater has already percolated through the entire snowpack to the ground. In these areas, expect “trapdoor” conditions—where you can suddenly punch through the surface—and the possibility of the entire snowpack releasing beneath you. At upper elevations on northerly aspects, meltwater may not yet have fully penetrated the snowpack, as observed in Tuesday's fieldwork, keeping the potential for wet-slab avalanches elevated in the coming days.
Even if the surface experiences a shallow overnight refreeze, meltwater will continue to move through the snowpack until temperatures drop below freezing for a sustained period. Wet slabs are notoriously difficult to predict, and under these conditions, the risk outweighs the reward of traveling in avalanche terrain.