Loose Wet
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 1
Last night's scattered cloud cover should have prevented a strong refreeze in some areas even though temperatures did remain slightly cooler. In areas where the clouds cleared a stronger overnight refreeze should have occurred. In either case, today's strong sunshine and warm temperatures should still melt through the refreeze. The areas with a weak refreeze will become unsupportable sooner, and those with the stronger refreeze will last a little longer. Once the refreeze melts, enough unconsolidated wet snow will exist for human triggered loose wet avalanches including pinwheels, roller balls, and loose wet snow point release avalanches to become possible on all aspects at all elevations. Most of these loose wet snow instabilities should remain small and not entrain much snow.
Getting out early and leaving the slopes before last night's refreeze completely melts represents a good way to avoid dealing with unsupportable, wet, sticky snow. Once the refreeze does melt the recreation conditions deteriorate and the hazards increase. At that point finding a different afternoon activity that does not involve steep snow covered slopes is a great idea.